One Least Likely
by Augustine Quill
Summary: Everyone knows David's fate, but when Cassie gets a chance to change the past, David's fate and countless others' may change. CH 66: David attempts to stymie his new opponents at their next theft.
1. Prologue

I do not own Animorphs. I am not making money from this. Tell me if you think I should. J

Prologue

Cassie

I looked over at Ronnie. He had a concerned look on his face. It was my birthday, the big 2-1, and I didn't look like I was enjoying myself.

"Come on Cass, what is it?" Ronnie asked me. "Is it the restaurant? I didn't know they had deer heads hanging off the wall."

I laughed in spite of myself. "No, it's not that, Ronnie. This is all very lovely, but . . ."

"What Cass?"

"It'll be two years in three weeks."

"I see." Ronnie said with that annoyed look on his face like anything he did, short of becoming the great Jake Berenson, would be wrong.

"Ronnie . . ."

"It's okay, Cassie. I understand." Ronnie said still sounding peeved. "Even though his actions were _officially_ denounced by every government, Human and Andalite, he's still a hero. The Great Jake Berenson. I just don't see why he had to drag those two soldiers."

"Well, six has always been the magic number."

"It started with six and ended in five."

That killed any good mood I had. Ronnie saw the look on my face and immediately gave a heart-felt apology, but I wasn't listening anymore. It was more than Rachel that died that day.

Jara Hamee and many other free Hork-Bajir died before the war was over.

Tom Berenson, Jake's brother.

The Auxiliary Animorphs. James, Collette, Tuan or "Timmy" as he liked to be called, Kelly, Craig, Tricia, and eleven others. Actually Ray died earlier, but what did it matter? We had talked eighteen disabled children into fighting the Yeerks, and they all died.

And suddenly my mind flashed to another Animorph. Unlike James and his group, he became an Animorph against his will. Because he had no choice, and then he tried to betray us, and ended up a rat.

David.

I thought of all of our sins in the past and wished I could change it all.

Three weeks later, almost every news station around the world announced it. It wasn't ever a head liner, but it still found its way to some part of the front page.

**Three Animorphs Still Missing After Two Years. **

Three Animorphs Declared Legally Dead 

They recanted what they believed to have happened two years ago. Prince Aximili's disappearance in the far reaches of space. The great Jake Berenson and his old comrades, Marco McCabe and Tobias van Gore, along with two soldiers, Antonio Santorelli and Jeanne Gerard, and some unknown Andalite, stole some Yeerk ship and disappeared.

I became the sole surviving Animorph. A memorial was already scheduled to be built. They chose to build it where it all began. The construction site, where we first met Elfangor, in our hometown. California, New Jersey. Marco always thought it funny that our town was called California and didn't have a single palm tree.

I remained in my home in Montana. I moved here, because I was working a lot with the Hork-Bajir Colony. I still fly a lot to California (the state, not my hometown). Not lately though. Ever since my birthday, my relationship with Ronnie has been on the rocks. We still work together, but it has been kinda strained. We've gone out once since then and . . . well the tension was there. I haven't spoken to him in a few days.

One day I got a call from my publicist. She said that the memorial they were building hit a snag, and the head of the project wanted to meet with me.

"What's his name?" I asked, not really caring. I had no interest of going back to my hometown, and seeing statues of people I cared about, who are now gone.

"A . . uh . . ." my publicist fumbled about trying to find his name. "Mr. Erek King."

I drove my rental car from my parents' house. They were delighted to see me, but they were worried about me returning to the construction site. They offered to accompany me. I said no. When I arrived at the site, I was immediately greeted by a lot of reporters. One reporter, while asking me questions, seemed to discreetly help me get through the sea of paparazzi. Another Chee. I made it to Erek's office without any more harrassment.

"Hey, Erek." I said.

"Cassie." Erek replied, he was older now of course. A man of twenty-one, but he was really older than the Pyramids. Underneath the hologram of a normal human being was a steel and ivory android. The Chee.

"So what's this snag?"

"It's something you should see."

Erek directed me to one of the more-completed buildings. This one had walls so it offered some privacy. Their was a hole in the middle of the floor, I wasn't sure why. There was also a large structure about six feet tall. Spherical. I couldn't quite make it out because it was covered up with a tarp. Erek's hologram shimmered. I could see his real steel and ivory body.

"I'm extending a hologram around us. Any prying eyes will see me uncovering a statue of Jake and you looking weepy. I hope that's all right."

"That's okay, Erek."

"This is what I really need to show you." Erek said as he uncovered the tarp.

It was a shimmering, featureless globe. Off-white, almost dull. Yet, I recognized it as the deadliest weapon ever.

"The Time Matrix!"

"You know what it is?"

"After the war in Leera, the former Visser Four came to Earth. Somehow he found the Time Matrix. He went back in time and started changing history. The Ellimist and Crayak had us chase after him and fix it. I remember . . . vaguely, one memory in particular. My family owned slaves. Jake was different. Like a Junior Nazi. Rachel wasn't even there. It was horrible, but we changed it so that Visser Four never came to Earth, and the Time Matrix remained where it was. It was here the whole time?!"

"Yeah."

"What if Elfangor knew? What if he knew that he ran out of time just yards away from the device that would give him all the time in the world."

"He did know."

That definitely got me. "What?"

"How do you think we knew about you?" Erek said mysteriously. He put the tarp over the Time Matrix and he was Erek once again. He escorted me to his office and locked the door. There he pulled a small alien-looking device from a lock box. It looked kind of like a pizza cutter, only the handle was very large and the disc part was smaller.

"What is it?" I asked Erek.

"Listen." He turned off his hologram and inserted the disc part into his head. From his body came a sound that was not his voice.

"I am Elfangor.

"I am an Andalite Prince. And I am about to die.

"My fighter is damaged. I have crash-landed on the surface of the planet called Earth. I believe that my Dome Ship has been destroyed. I fear my little brother Aximili is already dead.

"We did not expect the Yeerks to be here in such force. We made a mistake. We underestimated the Yeerks. Not for the first time. We would have defeated their Pool ship and its fighters. But there was a Blade Ship in orbit as well.

"The Blade Ship of Visser Three. WHERRER-WHERRER-WHERR!" I realized that Erek was fast forwarding.

"This is my _hirac delest _– my final statement. I have formed the mental link to the thought-speak transponder in my fighter's computer. I will record my memories before the Yeerks annihilate all trace of me. WHERRER-WHERRER-WHERR!

"Visser Three thinks he has won our long, private war. But I've left a little surprise behind.

"I have given the morphing power to five human youths." Erek stopped the recording here and his hologram flickered on again.

"There you have it." He said. "After we heard about the death of Elfangor, many of our people went and to find any evidence before the Yeerks could destroy it. He found this."

I was flabbergasted. He had this whole time and he never told us. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because it contained the location of the Time Matrix."

"What does that have to do with you?!"

"Did you know the Ellimist created my masters? Just like Crayak created their destroyers."

Again, I was floored. I haven't heard secrets like this since the war was over.

"The Time Matrix was an accident. All that is left of the Ellimist's physical body. It can't be destroyed. Only hidden. The Ellimist trusted my masters with it. To hide it from the universe. Then the Howlers came. According to the memories I downloaded on the Iskoort Home World, we were the first conquest. Lucky us. He fled to Earth with the Time Matrix. My masters prohibited us to use the Time Matrix to save them. We only to hide it on this planet.

"I mentioned that I helped build the pyramids, remember? Well, while I was building it, I and a bunch of my people hid the Time Matrix under one, and until we found Elfangor's _hirac delest_, we were clueless to the fact that it had been stolen by Skrit Na in 1976."

"Elfangor was involved."

Erek nodded his head. "Would you like to hear the whole story?"

I nodded, Erek played the whole thing, and for what seemed like an eternity, I listened. Elfangor's involvement with Arbron, the Andalite-turned-Taxxon who led the rebel Taxxons, Hedrick Chapman, my middle school's vice-principal and later my high school's principal, Loren, Tobias's mother and Elfangor's true love, a yeerk named Sub-Visser Seven who would become Visser One, and the disgraced Andalite War-Prince, Alloran-Semitur-Corrass, who would become the host to Visser One. The Ellimist was also involved, as was a device known as the Time Matrix. Elfangor and Visser One fought over it. Elfangor and Loren used it to return to Earth, and then Elfangor buried it in a forest. After that first failed battle, Elfangor went back for it, only to discover the forest had become an abandoned construction site. That's when he found five human children and gave them the morphing power. It just now occurred to me how that single act changed the universe. Because of the five of us plus Ax, we had saved the Hork-Bajir, the Taxxons, the Leerans, the Humans, and even many Yeerks.

Still how many more could have been saved!

"Now you know." Erek said finally, switching his hologram back on.

"Why are you showing it to me now?" I asked the millennia-old android.

"I took this job just in case the Time Matrix turned up." Erek said. "Now that it has turned up, I brought you here just in case you wanted to do something with it."

"Like what?"

Erek looked sad now. "I feel guilty. I feel like I contributed to Rachel's death."

"More than Rachel died that day."

"Do you want to change it?"

"I would like nothing more than to change it."

Erek led me back to the Time Matrix and projected his hologram.

"How are you going to change things?"

A simple question with no simple an answer. I tried to remember all of my experiences with time-travel. The _Sario Rip_ that landed us in Dinoland. Our experience tracking Visser Four through history, the memories of a distorted world still ringing in my head. There was something else. Something about if we never met Elfangor. A vague notion. Must have been a dream. The time the Ellimist showed us the future. A future where the Yeerks won, and Rachel encountered a thirty-year-old version of herself. A controller.

Funny. Now, the Yeerks lost and Rachel will never be thirty.

I also remembered the Ellimist. He never jumped into the time stream, only stuck his finger in it. Visser Four jumped in with both feet and totally screwed things up. No, I cannot directly change things. I have to do "an Ellimist." Do the least possible thing and let it make all the difference. But what?

I felt something on my foot. I looked down and it was a black rat. I shooed it away.

"Sorry." Erek said. "The whole place had a huge infestation problem."

I wasn't sorry. All at once the solution came to me. I wondered if even now the Ellimist was sticking his finger in the time stream, encouraging me to do the same. "I've got it."

I know me. I know I would say what I needed to say. The right thing.

I placed my hands on the Time Matrix and all at once I was no longer at the Construction site. I would change things. By God, I will. I hope that by saving one, I can save many.

It was a long shot. He was definitely the one least likely, but I had faith. One life.

David.


	2. The New Kid

**_March 15, 1999_**

  
  


My name is David Hunting, and my life bites.

  
  


In my fourteen years of life, I've had over twenty schools. I've played the new kid shtick enough times for me to get tired of it. My father works for the National Security Agency. The NSA handles 80% of the intelligence workload and is five times bigger than CIA. They move him around a lot. By the time I was six, whenever my dad said it was time to move, I always thought "so what?"

  
  


Except that last time, my father promised it was the last time, since I was starting High School and all.

  
  


We stayed a long time. Well, nine months is a long time to me to say in one place. I started actually building a life. I had friends. Colleagues. A Girlfriend.

  
  


But Dad broke his word. And I had to abandon it all. My friends. My colleagues. 

  
  


Stephanie.

  
  


So this time, I was especially pissy with the whole new kid routine. I couldn't give a damn about this town. California. Sure, it sounds nice. It didn't change the fact it was in the middle of fucking New Jersey, the shittest state in the country.

  
  


So there you have it. I was already in a bad mood, and to top it all off, I woke up late for school. It was Monday. My first day at school. My father and mother were already gone. Dad to his work. Mom, to her job at a day-care. I got dressed in a hurry, grabbed a breakfast bar, and left home. Fuck, I was going to be late. It was quite a ways to my new high school. I had to cross the fucking mall, which I didn't look forward to. Unless, I could cut through that construction site across the street.

  
  


The site was quiet as if it had no workers. Of course, it was early, maybe they didn't come till later. I walked in expecting someone to yell at me to get out of here, but the whole place was like a fucking ghost town. Big piles of rusted steel beams. Pyramids of concrete pipes. Deep pits filled with black, muddy water. A pile of gravel. Rocks the size of fucking Reese's cups.

  
  


As I walked through the site I picked one up and threw it. It hit a concrete block with a nice chaotic THWONK! I threw a few more and my aim improved. I managed to hit the block three times in the same spot before it fucking crumpled. Weird. That shit is usually pretty strong.

  
  


That's when I saw it. A small box nestled down inside the concrete block I shattered. Sky-blue. Very plain. Small. Maybe five inches by five inches by five inches, and yet something about it was drawing me to it. I picked up the box, which felt heavy for its size. It had some strange writing on it. It wasn't the Latin A to Z or any variation of it. It wasn't Greek, or Arabic, and it didn't look like any of the multitudes of Asian characters, which all looked the same to me, but I knew they were different. Still, it looked valuable. So I hung onto it. 

  
  


I managed to get to school on time. The warning bell hadn't even rung yet. I got my schedule, my locker number and combo, and a map of the building without any hassle. At least this school's help was helpful. Things were finally going my way. All I had to do was get to my locker and then to my homeroom, without getting harassed by some over-friendly geek, and I would be fine.

  
  


"Yo!" someone shouted. Fuck.

  
  


"What?" I asked him rudely on purpose. He was shorter than me. He had short dark brown hair. He looked as if he was part Hispanic. Don't get me wrong, I ain't no racist. It's just I notice things like that. I didn't have a problem with him being Hispanic. I did have a problem with him bothering me while I was trying to find my fucking locker. I was still holding the blue box, and I needed to stash it because there was no way in hell I was carrying that thing all day.

  
  


"Um . . . I don't know you, do I?" He said.

  
  


"I'm new." I replied.

  
  


"Ah," He replied, than took a few seconds to process the information. What, was this guy an idiot? "So. My name is Marco."

  
  


"I'm David."

  
  


"David! Okay. Good name." Said Marco, who was definitely an idiot. Fuck this, I didn't have time for this crap.

  
  


"Later." I said as I walked away from him.

  
  


But then he started following me. "Hey, David! What's that blue thing?"

  
  


I turned back to look at him. "I don't know. I found it. It was in that construction site over across from the mall. In a hole in a wall. Inside the cement block. Like it had been put in there or something."

  
  


"Yeah?"

  
  


"Yeah. It's weird. I mean, it feels like it must be something, you know? Like it's not just a plain old box. It has some writing on it. Like it might be foreign, or something."

  
  


BRRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG!

  
  


The warning bell rang and the jumpy motherfucker leaped about two feet in the air.

  
  


"Hey can I have it?" He asked. "I mean, it looks cool and all. I can pay you. I could pay you a dollar and thirty-two cents." Was he fucking kidding me? I looked at the change he had pulled out of his pocket. Apparently, he decided to include an old peppermint Life Saver to sweeten the deal.

  
  


"Marco, huh?"

  
  


"Yeah. I'm Marco. Nice to meet you."

  
  


"Even nicer to say goodbye."

  
  


I walked away. What an idiot! Still, he seemed pretty interested in the box. Maybe, I should sell it.

  
  
  
  


That night, Dad was going to take us all out to dinner, but I told him I didn't feel up to it. I stayed home. I decided to take a swim in our pool. It was chilly out, but the pool was heated, so it was all good. I started swimming back and forth just thinking about shit.

  
  


I used to live in southern Georgia. Down there, you_ can_ swim in an unheated pool in the middle of March.

  
  


I thought about Stephanie, or Steph as I called her. She was beautiful. A little shorter than me. Long beautiful blonde hair. Beautiful green eyes. Perfect. She was the real definition of a Georgia Peach. She was more than just a pretty face. I met many girls as beautiful as she, but a lot of them were stupid, or bitchy, or both. Steph was smart, with a great personality, and she could handle all my moodiness, which I admit, can be grating at times. She was also klutzy, which I found amusing.

  
  


I remember when I met her. We were at a pool party. Friend of a friend type deal. My best bud Jason introduced us. Now, I don't usually believe in all that Love-at-First-Sight shit, but God, when I first saw her, I knew I wanted her. It wasn't her boobs or her ass or her legs. I mean, all of those where great too, but I wasn't a total horndog. Those weren't what caused me to fall in love with her.

  
  


It was her smile. A wonderful, inviting, it's-okay-everything-will-be-fine smile. And her eyes. Beautiful green eyes.

  
  


We had some good times. The party right before school started when I asked her out. The Autumn Fair when I first kissed her. The Megadeth Halloween concert when we first told each other "I love you." 

  
  


Yeah, I know. I'm only fourteen, and personally, I'm not exactly the mushy type. But, hey, when you're in love, you're in love. 

  
  


Our first Christmas. Our only Christmas. She gave me a kitten. I named him Megadeth. 

  
  


Boy, that little kitten got into everything. Real feisty. And while he was still little, I had to be real sure to keep him away from my pet cobra, Spawn. Good thing cats grow fast. By February, Megadeth had outgrown Spawn's preferred snack size.

  
  


God, I missed her. The day I told her I had to leave was probably the worst day of my whole fucking life. Those beautiful green eyes had tears, and not the good kind. She gave me her phone number, address, and about six different e-mail addresses before I left. I was to contact her whenever I could. As soon as possible. It had been four days since I last saw her. I should call her. E-mail her at least.

  
  


I got out of the pool, intending to e-mail Steph, but then I heard the sound of glass breaking. I looked at my window. Fuck! Somebody broke my window! I wrapped my towel around my waist and hauled ass to the house and to my room.

  
  


I slammed open my door. There I saw Megadeth, whose been a fully grown, very huge cat since the beginning of March, leaping into my window curtains, shrieking. I soon saw why. There were two big fucking birds in my room. 

  
  


"Whoa!" I said, not expecting two huge-ass birds to break into my home. One looked kind of like a hawk. The other was definitely a Bald Eagle. You don't have a Dad who works for the government, and not be able to recognize the symbol of your country. The Eagle started to tear up my bed. The hawk made a grab for the blue box.

  
  


My box! I went to my dresser drawer and took out my BB gun. I shot the hawk a few times, but it was still managing to drag my box out my door. Now, I was furious. Whoever thought they could steal my box with trained birds, was sadly mistaken. I just keep shooting my BB gun, and shouting "Give me back my box!" Granted, it probably wasn't the best solution to shout and shoot at two birds, one of which I knew to be a threatened species, but like I said, I was moody.

  
  


I chased them to the downstairs sliding glass door. The floor was still slippery from when I ran in, dripping wet. While the eagle managed to get it open, I rushed the hawk who flew away frightened. Both birds flew out the open door. 

  
  


"Yeah! And don't come back, either!" I yelled while shooting off a final BB for good measure. 

  
  


I picked up the blue box. It was now crystal clear that whatever I had, it was valuable. Well, if the bird-man wanted it so bad, he can bid for it on eBay, like everyone else.

  
  


God bless the Internet.


	3. Battle for the Box

**_March 16, 1999_**

  
  


Remember when I said that telling Stephanie I had to leave Georgia was the worst fucking day of my life? Well, today, that day finally got competition

  
  


"HI-YAH!" I shouted as I gave a decent karate kick to my training dummy. My father bought a lavish four-bedroom house when our family only needed two, but yeah, it had a heated pool! My mother turned one bedroom into a Martha Stewart looking Guest Room. My dad and I turned the other into a workout room. I was in there about two hours before school started, working on my moves. I was far from being an expert, I was a blue belt which isn't much. My friend Jason was a black belt and helped me a lot on my moves. Without him, I probably wouldn't even be blue. Still I had to practice.

  
  


I posted a "for sale" notice on the box on eBay and a few other websites last night. This morning there was already an answer. Guy wants me to stop the auction. Says he'll pay whatever price I want. Anywhere. Anytime. 

  
  


I set up a timer to send an e-mail with my address about ten minutes before I get home.

  
  


I'm no idiot. This guy could be the same guy who sent the birds, and God knows what other animals he's got trained. I had to be ready if the guy wanted to take the box. He wouldn't bring any wild animals to my house, so that's where it had to take place. It'll be just me and him. And in case he wants to throw down, I got a few tricks up my sleeve. 

  
  


Still, I could use a backup. In a situation like this, Jason would be there for me. But Jason isn't here, and here, I ain't got no friends. Still, I'm no fool. I need backup. Maybe that Marco guy. 

  
  


I looked for him before homeroom, but no luck. I eventually found him in the lunchline. I bullied my way toward him.

  
  


"You said your name is Marco, right?" I said to him.

  
  


He turned around suddenly as if I were the fucking principal. Still the jumpy motherfucker. "Yeah. Marco," He finally said. "David, right?"

  
  


I nodded. Okay, this is the part where you make small talk. "The food was better at my last school."

  
  


"That would pretty much have to be true. It couldn't be any worse. Not unless your last school was a prison."

  
  


Time to get to business. "I don't have any friends here yet. Something really weird happened to me yesterday. Very weird. Want to hang?"

  
  


"Sure. So, what --"

  
  


"Cauliflower or green bean casserole?" the lunch lady asked Marco. "Come on, little Marco, let's keep it moving."

  
  


"The casserole definitely. It sounds so French and all." He said as he turned to me. "You know the English word for casserole? Slop."

  
  


He was a babbling idiot yesterday. Now, he was Mr. Wit? We got to our food and sat down at an empty table at the far side of the room. Marco sat across from me.

  
  


"Remember that blue box I showed you yesterday?"

  
  


He took his usual five seconds to process information. "Yeah. Now I do, yeah."

  
  


"Last night someone tried to steal it. And you'll never guess how they did it. Trained birds."

  
  


"Say what?"

  
  


"Two birds flew in my bedroom window and tried to get away with the box. Fortunately my cat, Megadeth, went after one."

  
  


"You named your cat Megadeth?"

  
  


"I just wish my snake had been out of his box. He's had his venom taken out, but I bet it would have scared those birds."

  
  


"Snake?"

  
  


"Yeah, he's really cool. He's a cobra. You're not even supposed to be able to own them, but my dad got it for me. He goes overseas a lot. He's a spy. But don't tell anyone."

  
  


"Ooookay," He said. He obviously didn't get all of that, but that's all right. Just making conversation.

  
  


Of course, I may have been better off talking to a fucking brick wall.

  
  


"Look, I know it sounds weird and all, but those birds were not ordinary birds. Hell, one of them opened a fucking sliding glass door." I said trying to get it through his thick skull. "It was an eagle, I think."

  
  


"Why would anyone want to steal that blue box?"

  
  


"I don't know, but it must be valuable, right? Or else why would someone go to all the trouble of using trained birds?"

  
  


"Makes sense."

  
  


"Anyway, I bet it's worth a lot of money, so I'm going to try and sell it."

  
  


"Sell it?"

  
  


That's the third time this fucker has repeated something I said. God, he's dense. "Yeah. I posted a 'for sale' notice on a couple webpages last night after all this went down. I described it. And I described those symbols, the ones that look like foreign writing? This morning before school I checked, and there was already an answer. Some guy says he wants to see it. He says he'll pay good money. Says he'll go anywhere, anytime."

  
  


"You did what?"

  
  


I was getting real tired of him keep questioning me. I didn't bother answering him. "I'm thinking I should have some backup, you know? Someone to cover me, in case anything goes down. You're the only guy I know here."

  
  


"You didn't give this guy your address, did you?"

  
  


Was he fucking kidding me? At least his questions have gotten slightly more intelligent. "I'm not a moron. The guy could rip me off while I'm stuck here at school. I set it up on a timer so the e-mail with my address won't go out till right before I get home."

  
  


"It's on automatic?" 

  
  


"I send the e-mail, the guy comes over, and I give you ten percent for helping me out."

  
  


"Good plan." He said.

  
  


Good. That means he was in.

  
  
  
  


A lot of fucking good that did. In the middle of sixth period I remembered I still hadn't set my clock on my computer. God knows what time it thought it was, so I made the decision to cut class and get there just in case the guy was already on his way. With or without Marco.

  
  


I should have just stayed at school.

  
  


The last time I hauled ass to my house then my room, I found two fucking large birds trying to take my box. Which you would think would be maximum weirdness. Not even close, because when I got there my father was in my room with a gun pointed at a big brown and blue alien.

  
  


I'm not fucking kidding. A big-ass blue and brown alien. It had eight stumpy legs, blue and brown fur, a scorpion tail, and two arms. And it was changing. Okay, I met my first alien. I said what any smart, intelligent person would say.

  
  


"Whoa!"

  
  


"He says he's some kind of alien." My dad said tersely.

  
  


To which I intelligently responded with "Whoa-oah-oah!"

  
  


"By the way, you're grounded."

  
  


"An alien, no way!"

  
  


Yes, way!

  
  


As weird as the alien looked his apparent method of communication was even funkier. 1) I didn't actually _hear_ his words. They kind of just were there in my head. 2) What he said was just a little too Bill and Ted. 3) It sounded vaguely familiar. Despite myself, I managed notice that Spawn was out of his box and the e-mail had been sent.

  
  


The alien stopped changing. It now looked kinda like a young Centaur with scorpion tail. Like a blue and tan teenage Motaro from Mortal Kombat 3. Instead of horns, though, this guy had stalks with eyes. He was also missing a mouth. The alien spoke again. Listen to me. All hell is about break loose. The two of you need to hide.

  
  


"Hide? Why do we have to hide?" I yelled. I mean, who was this freak to tell me what to do?

  
  


Because the alternative is to be dead.

  
  


Well, when you put it like that. I suddenly got the sinking feeling this had to do with my box. The doorbell rang. Heh, maybe it's the buyer for the box.

  
  


You don't want to answer that doorbell

  
  


That's when I saw Spawn slither out of the closet. Wait a minute, wasn't Spawn over. . . 

  
  


My dad must have thought the same thing, because he gazed from the snake by the bed to the alien back to the snake.

  
  


Yes, it's me, the snake talking. Look, don't do anything stupid.

  
  


Dad decided not to listen and he shot the talking snake/alien in the tail. Dad was about to fire again when the first alien let loose his tail. Dad's gun went flying. So did one of Dad's fingers.

  
  


"Hey!" I shouted.

  
  


"Ahhh!" Dad yelled.

  
  


CRRRRRUNCH! Downstairs, our front door exploded into splinters, while my dad cradled his injured hand. There was a severe house-shaking pounding as many large feet run up the stairs. Things were about to go to shit real fast. That's when two more aliens step into the room.

  
  


They had feet like Tyrannosaurs. Necks like serpents. Large birdlike beaks. Three curved horns protruding out of their foreheads. Ostrich legs and very long arms. A curved blade on each wrist, elbow, and knee. They also had blades on their tails. They looked those freaks from _Where the Wild Things Are._

  
  


"Uuuuh. Wh-what the hell are those?" I ask-stammer

  
  


I told you to hide! the alien shouted.

  
  


Then between the Wild Things, came another one of the blue Motaros. This one was definitely full grown. Something about this alien sent a chill up my spine. Somehow I knew he was fucking trouble.

  
  


Visser Three! The smaller alien sneered in hatred. It was the first time this one had spoken. It was odd. I thought all the blue Motaros would be working together.

  
  


We heard shots. We thought maybe we could help. said the bigger Motaro totally insincerely.

  
  


"Get the fuck out of here!" I yelled.

  
  


Get out of here? Why, I'm disappointed. I just got your primitive e-mail and I rushed right over.

  
  


"Y-y-you want to b-b-buy the blue box?"

  
  


Oh, yes, definitely. I do, I do. And I'm willing to pay anything. Let's see, what could I offer you for the box? I know! It whipped its tail and pressed the blade against Dad's throat. I'll pay with your father's life.

  
  


You aren't getting the box. the smaller Motaro said stepping foward. Great the two Motaros are about to throw down and my father is in between them. 

  
  


Then this human will be separated from his head. I understand that's usually fatal in humans.

  
  


For a long time no one moved. Not the two Motaros. Not the two Wild Things. Not me or Dad.

  
  


Except Spawn, or was it the alien disguised as Spawn?

  
  


What is this? Shouted the bigger Motaro. Another Andalite in morph?

  
  


Sudden Movement! Dad jerked away from the Motaro's tail blade. I rushed the Motaro yelling "Let him go!"

  
  


Just then the smaller Motaro locked blades with the bigger Motaro. Then the Wild Things rushed the small Motaro. My posters flew. My curtains tore. My books scattered. I was going to have a hell of a time cleaning this up.

  
  


BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! My dad was in the corner, cradling his injured right hand and firing his gun with his left hand. He usually can't even hold a fork in that hand. But, three shots and one of the Wild Things went down. One more to go.

  
  


Except then about four more Wild Things came in. Aw, Fuck! They crowded around the two Motaros fighting. I was just about to hide when I heard --

  
  


"Hhhhhhhhhrrrroooooarrrrhh!" a throaty, hoarse-sounding roar of a grizzly bear.

  
  


That's right, a fucking grizzly bear, and behind him, a tiger. An orange-and-black fucking tiger. Maybe it was the bird-man with his trained animals.

  
  


I felt like throwing up. 

  
  


I used to have four walls in my room. I now had two. The Bear and the tiger began to attack the group of Wild Things.

  
  


Andalite Scum! the Bigger Motaro yelled as it whipped its tail around and slashed bed apart.

  
  


This time you won't escape

  
  


The Bear swung his paw and knocked a Wild Thing through a wall. Yes, _through_ the wall. The Big Motaro started change. Into what??! A Dragon?? Fucking Unicorn?? I saw Spawn slither up to him. 

  
  


"Look out, Spawn!" I cried as I picked him up.

  
  


You idiot, put me down! Spawn yelled at me, but it wasn't really Spawn. It was the alien pretending to be Spawn. I jumped back, startled, and dropped him. That does it. I had enough of this shit. Time to get the hell out of here. One of my walls had opened up to the bathroom. I ran in and jumped in the bathtub. From there I saw the big Motaro finish changing.

  
  


It was purple. Steph's favorite color. It was tall with massive shoulders. It stood on two legs, shoulder-width apart, each ending in four-(as-thick-as-my-thigh-)toed feet. It had a face, but no head. Its face was in the center of its chest. One eye on each pectoral. A mouth across its abs. He had four arms. From Motaro to Goro! But they weren't arranged that way. It looked as if each shoulder had split so each side had two arms, one behind the other. At the end of each arm was a blood-red, sharp cone.

  
  


My room started to look less like a free-for-all and more like a battlefield. Two sides. On one side, the smaller Motaro, the bear, and the tiger. On the other, the Motaro-turned-Goro and the Wild Things.

  
  


It's called a Dule Fansa said the Motaro-turned-Goro. A rather fanciful name, don't you think? Would you like to see what it can do?

  
  


"No, I would not like to see what it can do!" I whined to myself. Where was my father?

  
  


He aimed a cone at the smaller Motaro. The cone rocketed off the arm and shot toward the alien. The cone missed, but still knocked the Motaro to his knees and left a two foot hole in the wall. Motaro/Dule Fansa's hand was already reloaded.

  
  


Now, let's make this simple. The Motaro/Dule Fansa said confidently. I want the blue box. I will have the blue box. Or all of you will die. I'm not a patient Yeerk. I'll have the blue box, and I'll destroy you all. But if I get the blue box now, I may decide to destroy you some other time.

  
  


That alien did not know how to negotiate.

  
  


David. said a voice I actually recognized. It was the snake/alien. Where was he anyway? David, listen to me. I'm on your side. We have to rescue that box. So we have to know where it is.

  
  


Brave Andalites. The Motaro/Dule Fansa mocked. You'll let me kill these humans rather than give up the box?

  
  


Say What???! Kill Me? Fuck that! "No!" I shouted. "I have the stupid box. Just let us go. I have the goddamn box right here in my backpack, if you want it so fucking bad." That's when about a million things happened at once.

  
  


One: The Wild Things started to rush me, but my father, from wherever he was hiding, started firing and laid about three of them out.

  
  


Two: The smaller Motaro hacked off one of the Motaro/Dule Fansa's arms.

  
  


Three: The Tiger rushed the Motaro/Dule Fansa.

  
  


Four: The Bear rushed me and I cowered like a fucking pussy.

  
  


Five: The Motaro/Dule Fansa shot two cones at me.

Both cones missed me. The reason why is because the Bear rammed me through the bathroom wall to the outside. Yes, _through_ the wall to the outside, and while I was falling two stories and before I landed on my lawn and became unconscious, I thought one thing.

  
  


God damn the Internet.


	4. Reality

**_???_**

  
  


I was walking with Stephanie through the peach groves. It's one of her favorite places.

  
  


"It's valuable?" She asked me.

  
  


"Yep, that Blue Box is going to make me a lot of money. We can go away together and leave this fucking place." All of the sudden we were in the construction site in New Jersey. Stephanie gave me that mock-shocked look whenever I used language she didn't approve of.

  
  


"Hey David!" Jason said as he showed up suddenly. "Need my help?"

  
  


"Sure, man! You game, right?"

  
  


"I don't know Man. You named your cat Megadeth?" All of the sudden, Jason was Marco and he was holding Megadeth by his tail.

  
  


"He doesn't like that! Don't do that!"

  
  


But Megadeth started to change. Became orange with black stripes. And got big. I turned around suddenly and got pushed by a grizzly bear.

  
  


Where do you think you're going? The Bear said. I turned around and a giant Cobra came up out of the ground where Marco used to be. I turned around again and there was the Dule Fansa with a gaggle of Wild Things. Two had my parents. One had Steph.

  
  


"Let them go!"

  
  


You weak, pathetic fool! said the Dule Fansa. Give me the Blue Box or they will die!

  
  


I had the blue box in my hands all of the sudden. I stepped forward to give him the box when the giant snake coiled around me.

  
  


Oh, no you don't, human!

  
  


The small blue Motaro-looking alien suddenly showed up. He had a tiger-skinned back. He also had four arms for some reason. Go ahead and kill the humans. You're not getting the box!

  
  


And as the Giant Snake dragged me away, I saw the Wild Things slit the throats of my parents. And Steph.

  
  


"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

  
  


I was on the ground outside. I had woken up. I was dreaming. It was still Tuesday. I realized I couldn't have been asleep for more than half an hour. My head hurt like a motherfucker. I opened my eyes and I saw five kids. One of them was Marco. Aside from him, there were two boys and two girls. Of the two girls, there was a short black girl and a very tall blonde white girl. Of the two boys, one was shorter than the other, but not as short as Marco. The shorter boy was definitely some kind of black, white, hispanic mix. A kind of pretty boy. The other boy was definitely white. He was also tall, taller than me. Very broad shouldered. Light brown hair. The big guy looked like he was in charge.

  
  


"Who are you?"

  
  


The big guy spoke. "We're the people who are going to totally change your world, David."

  
  


I thought that over for a minute. "Is this some sort of gay thing?"

  
  


The big guy was taken aback by that. Marco and the girls stifled a laugh.

  
  


"Uh, no." The big guy said suddenly. He looked at the sky. There was some bird circling over us. Probably a vulture.

  
  


I turned to Marco. "Listen Marco, whatever you and your little friends have planned, forget it. Okay, the blue box thing went straight to fucking hell, and I was thrown out a wall, not a window mind you, a fucking wall, by some big-ass bear. Now you're probably wondering what the fuck I'm talking about, but you know what? None of your goddamn business. I'm just going to go home and find out what those freaks wanted." I started to walk away.

  
  


"They wanted your box." said the blonde.

  
  


I turned around slowly. "How'd you know that?" 

  
  


"Let's take a walk, David." the big guy said.

  
  


"Who are you people?" I asked as I started to walk with them. Marco and the black girl were on either side of me. The big guy was up front. The blonde and the pretty boy were behind me. Fucking surrounded.

  
  


"I'm Jake." said the big guy.

  
  


"Rachel." Said the blonde.

  
  


"Cassie." Said the black girl. She smiled at me. It was the same smile Steph had.

  
  


"And I am Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill." said the pretty boy. I raised a curious eyebrow.

  
  


"What the hell kinda name is that?"

  
  


He looked as if he wasn't sure how to answer. "You can call me Ax. It is my nickname. Nick. Name. Ick. A-a-a-m-m-m-m-MA"

  
  


"I'll call you Crazy! Marco, who the fuck are you guys?"

  
  


"We're the guys that saved your hide." Marco said very strongly. The look in his eyes was definite. I had total misjudged him. He was not the idiot I had marked him for. I also got the impression that he did not like me very much.

  
  


"We're at the bus stop." Jake said. "When you get on David, don't talk."

  
  


"Fuck you. Who are you to tell me what to do?"

  
  


"David, it would be best if you didn't talk about what happened where others can hear." Cassie said, putting a reassuring hand on me. I shrugged it off. She looked at me with eyes that, unlike the others, showed genuine care and worry. Those eyes. Goddamn.

  
  


I kept my mouth shut while I rode the bus to Cassie's house. Cassie was with me. The others did not get on. Cassie made attempts to make small talk, but I remained silent and stonefaced. When Cassie and I got off, she led me to her barn. The others were already waiting for me. 

  
  


"How, the fuck, . . . . did you . . . ?" I stammered. I mean they fucking quantum leaped or something.

  
  


"You should sit down." Rachel said as she pushed me down on a bale of hay. Rachel and Marco stayed at either side. Jake, Cassie, and the boy named Ax were in front of me.

  
  


"Do you guys know about what happened to me?" I asked.

  
  


"Yeah. We do." Jake said. "You and your family have become casualties of the invasion."

  
  


"What invasion?"

  
  


"An Alien invasion."

  
  


Aliens, huh? Like the Motaros and the Wild Things. "Who were they?"

  
  


"They are called Yeerks. They are a parasitic race from another planet. They are not much more than gray slugs, really. But they enter your brain and reduce you to slavery. Those big, seven-foot-tall creatures that were in you house?" The Wild Things. "Those are Hork-Bajir. They have a Yeerk in their brains. An entire species already enslaved by the Yeerks."

  
  


"And now they're after the human race." Cassie said. "There are thousands of humans who've been made into Controllers. That's what you call a creature who's controlled by a Yeerk."

  
  


"My brother is one." Jake said.

  
  


"And by now, David, so are your mother and your father." Marco said suddenly. What, the fuck, was he talking about? I glanced at the others. Jake and Cassie weren't too happy about what Marco said, either. Rachel and Axem-whatever looked indifferent.

  
  


"He needs to know what's happening. He needs to know this isn't just some game?"

  
  


I turned toward him. "What about my mom and dad?"

  
  


"Look, it's all about that blue box you found. The Yeerks want it. The guy who turned into the big purple pile driver?" The Motaro/Dule Fansa. "That's Visser Three. He's the leader for the Yeerks her on Earth. He's running the invasion, okay? As you may have noticed, he wants the box. And he allowed your father, and your mom, too, I guess, to see the truth. To see _him_. And that's a no-no. The Yeerks don't want people knowing what's happening, not yet. So he's going to keep your mom and dad quiet. Plus, he's going to find out what they know about the box."

  
  


"Are you saying he'll torture them or something?"

  
  


"Man, listen to me. By now your parents have been taken to a secret, underground facility called a Yeerk pool. It's not a nice place. Picture a sludgy cesspool of a pond the color of molten lead. There are two steel piers leading out over the pond. Hork-Bajir warriors will drag your parents out to end of one of those piers. They will-"

  
  


"Marco!" Cassie said angrily. Apparently she wasn't the only one opposed to Marco's method of laying it on so fucking thick I can't fucking breathe.

  
  


"They will drag them out to the end of that pier and they will kick their legs out from under them and force their heads down into the sludge. And while they are kicking and screaming and calling for help, a Yeerk slug will swim over and it will squeeze into one ear. And it will flatten itself out and squeeze and burrow and dig its way into their brains. And the Hork-Bajir will yank them up out of the sludge, and they will start to feel that they cannot control their own arms or legs. Cannot open their own mouths or move their own eyes. The Yeerk will open their memories like a person opening a book. They will be slaves. The most total slaves in all of history because even their own minds won't be theirs anymore. Are you getting the picture?"

  
  


Yeah, I got the fucking picture! I felt like crying, but hell if I was going to do that. The big speech seemed to wear Marco out.

  
  


"My mom is one." He said flatly. "She's a controller."

  
  


"There's a lot to tell you, David, but Marco's right." Jake said. "You need to know this isn't a game. This is life and death. This is the future of the whole human race. It's too late to help your parents. And as of now, you have no home and you can't go back to school. You do, they'll find you. And it'll be you taking that long walk down the steel pier."

  
  


No life? Not like I had much of a life to begin with. It was destroyed last February when Dad announced we had to move. Still the few pieces I had left had now been snatched away from me. My parents, aliens in their heads. My pets? Who knows? I'll never see any of them again. My parents, my aunts and uncles. My cousins. 

  
  


Oh shit.

  
  


I'll never see Stephanie again either.

  
  


FUCK!!

  
  


"This is stupid!" I decided to say. Taking me away from school is nothing. My parents is another thing. And Steph? To never see her again? I don't think I could handle that. God, I was so stupid! Why hadn't I called her??!!!! E-mailed??!! Something??!! She'll think I fucking forgot her!!! "I mean . . . it's not right. Can't be. This is all some kind of trick."

  
  


"You saw what went down at your house." Rachel said.

  
  


"That could have been guys dressed up in costumes." Yeah, like I fucking believed that.

  
  


"You saw Visser Three morph." Cassie said.

  
  


"What's a Kisser Three?"

  
  


"Visser Three. With a 'v'" Jake corrected. "The one who looked like a deer with a scorpion tail." The Motaro. "You saw him morph into that purple pile-driver monster." The Dule Fansa, he called it.

  
  


Still. "It's all a trick." I said stubbornly.

  
  


"Ax." Jake said to the pretty boy with the ridiculous name. "Demorph."

  
  


The Pretty boy nodded his head. "I would be glad to. It is very disturbing being without my tail. Diss-ter-BING." Tail?

  
  


"David," Jake said to me, "watch Ax. Watch him closely."

  
  


I looked and the pretty boy started to change. His bare feet started to turn more like hooves. His arms started to thin. His hands grew more fingers. His lips disappeared. Hoofed legs appeared out of his torso.

  
  


I admit it. I freaked. I believe my exact words were: "Aaaaaahhh! Aaaaaahhh!". I screamed and tried to run out the door, but the blonde, Rachel, grabbed me.

  
  


"It's okay, you'll get used to it." She said. Get used to what? Dudes turning into monsters?? Was he one of those shape-shifting aliens? One of the aliens was pretending to be Spawn. The tiger and the bear were probably aliens too. Are Marco and his friends actually shape-shifting aliens?

  
  


That's when I finally got a hold of my senses long enough to notice something. The boy named Ax was turning into something resembling a centaur with a scorpion tail. Blue and tan fur. No mouth. Stalk eyes. 

  
  


The smaller Motaro! Fucking Shit!

  
  


"See?" Jake said. "No trick. This is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. We call him 'Ax' for short. He's an Andalite. The Andalites are the good guys of the galaxy."

  
  


"Mostly, anyway." Marco interjected.

  
  


"Visser Three, who you saw in your room, has an Andalite body, but he's a Yeerk underneath it all. He has stolen and enslaved an Andalite."

  
  


I'm pretty sure I was shaking. I mean, this was too much. Shape-shifters called Andalites. Brain-stealing slugs called Yeerks. How were Marco and the others involved? Jake and Marco didn't talk as if they were Andalites. Especially not after Marco's snide comment about Andalites being the good guys. They were humans, at least the Jake and Marco were. Cassie, also. That was definitely human emotion I saw through those eyes. Rachel's probably human too, but I wasn't too sure about her.

  
  


"There is one nice thing about all this." Cassie said. "There is a nice compensation for all the danger and all the fear."

  
  


What? What could possibly be a "nice compensation" to this Sci-fi/Horror flick I've landed in?

  
  


"You know the wild animals who were fighting the Yeerks today? You know the birds who tried to steal the blue box before that? Us. That was us." Marco said. THEM??? Marco the Babbling Idiot and his three psycho friends are the shape-shifters???? It occurs to me then that he was probably the one who was pretending to be Spawn. Fucking Yes, way!-idiot. Marco continued. "See, Visser Three and Ax aren't the only one ones who can morph. So can we, and now that we have this, so can you." He was referring to my blue box. That's what it does? Turns people into shape-shifters?

  
  


"Any animal you can touch, you can _become_," Cassie said. "A dolphin, a skunk, a wolf."

  
  


"An elephant or a grizzly bear." Rachel added.

  
  


"A gorilla. A shark." Marco added.

  
  


"A tiger, a fly, a cockroach." Jake said. "Any animal. Any size. But only for two hours at a time. You can never stay in morph for more than two hours."

  
  


I couldn't help but ask. "Why?"

  
  


"Meet the final member of the Animorphs." Marco said. Animorphs? Is that what they called themselves? "David, my man, meet Tobias."

  
  


Tobias was a bird. "He's a bird." I muttered intelligently. Kind of like the hawk that came through my window, (which I now know was one of these Animorphs. Probably Marco.), but different. Brown feathers, not gray, and a red tail. Duh, a red-tailed hawk. I had to do a paper on them in my last school, but why did they give a bird the power to morph? Wait, weren't they saying about a warning? I could practically feel the wheels in my head turning. "He was trapped in this form."

  
  


Bright Boy said the hawk. But I have the power to morph again. A gift from our buddy the Ellimist.

  
  


"Ellimist?"

  
  


"That's another long story." Marco said to me.

  
  
  
  


I ended up staying the night at Marco's house. He gave me the use of his bed for the night. He slept on an air mattress. He fell asleep quickly. I couldn't sleep even if I wanted too. I knew that this was not going to last. That this was probably my last night in a real bed. God knows what they were going to do with me. They way they were talking it was as if they were debriefing me for some fucking war. I was no fucking soldier. When I was twelve, my father put me in a summer boot camp. After the second week of having Sergeant Bad-Breath telling me to do shitty exercises and yelling in my "insubordinate" face, I lost my temper and kneed him in the balls. 

  
  


I was sent home.

  
  


That was when I decided I could never be military like my Dad. I stopped playing soldier after that. Now here I was. Getting ready to "play soldier" in a real war, unlike any war I had heard or read about. It was fucking nuts. 

  
  


It couldn't be real. My father was fucking military. Intelligence, for Christ's sake. He would never let a slug into his brain! I had to call him. I got up and found the phone. 

  
  


Marco had found me and stopped me before I could dial.

  
  


"Ever heard of Caller ID?" He said to me.

  
  


"I'm calling my mom and dad." I said strongly.

  
  


Marco nodded finally. "Okay, but not from here." He told me to get dressed. Once we were ready, Marco snuck us out. 

  
  


"Come on." He said.

  
  


"Where, the hell, are we going?"

  
  


"You want to call home, fine. We'll call. But from a pay phone. And then you'll see what happens."

  
  


We walked to a pay-phone at a 7-eleven.

  
  


"Okay, now listen up." Marco said, obviously trying to mimic Jake's authoritativeness, and failing miserably. "We do this my way. You can call. Tell your parents you're all right. Don't tell them who you're _with_. Don't tell them where you_ are_. Got it?"

  
  


Fuck you. I thought to myself, but I nodded anyway. Marco leaned against the wall and slung his arm over the top of the phone. Getting ready to kill the call probably. 

  
  


I started to dial when he grabbed me again. "Before you do that, let me tell you exactly what's going to happen. Your mom and dad will sound totally normal. They'll tell you to come home. If you refuse, they'll ask where you are. Ask them what happened today at the house. Just that."

  
  


I finished dialing. After the second ring, someone picked up. "Hello?" My dad.

  
  


"Hello? Dad? It's me. It's me."

  
  


"David?!! Jesus, where are you, son?? Your mother and I are worried sick. Are you okay?"

  
  


"No, I'm not okay, I'm scared."

  
  


"Okay, okay. Just calm down, son. Tell us where you are and we'll come get you."

  
  


Marco silently mouthed the words "ask him."

  
  


"Dad, what happened? I mean, those were aliens and all."

  
  


My father gave a slight chuckle. "David, don't worry about that. It was all some hoax played by my new colleagues. A sort of hazing." I echoed it back for Marco's sake. Hoax, my ass! I looked at Marco and he seemed to mirror my sentiment. 

  
  


"Dad, I saw that one alien turn into something else. That was real."

  
  


"Son, I told you not to worry about it. Now, if this is about me grounding you, I'm sure we can discuss that. I bet you probably had a good reason to cut class. Now come home, son. It isn't safe out there." Good reason?? Was he fucking kidding me???

  
  


"I'm okay." I began to say. "I'm--" Click! Marco cut the call.

  
  


"What the fuck, you think you're doing??" I yelled. I was talking to my father God damnit!

  
  


He grabbed my sleeve. "Come on. That's time enough."

  
  


I shook him off. "Step off, Marco, you don't tell me what to do."

  
  


"Listen, you idiot, in about two minutes a couple carloads of Yeerks are going to come screaming up looking for you. They'll trace the call."

  
  


"My dad wouldn't do that."

  
  


"No? Come with me. We can watch. We can see what happens." Marco said as he dragged me across the street into a dark alleyway. We slunk back in the shadows. About a minute and a half later. Two jeeps came with about four or five normal looking people.

  
  


"See?" Marco said self-righteously

  
  


"That doesn't prove anything." I shot back.

  
  


Then came a car I recognized. Dad's Ford Tauros. Quality American Machinery. My mother and father came out. My father had a bandage over his right hand. Ax did that. Bastard alien. Dad started to hand out some photographs.

  
  


"Your picture." Marco so-necessarily-explained to me.

  
  


"They're guys from my dad's work." I said firmly, even though I myself was half-speculating half-hoping. "Other spies, like him."

  
  


"What _exactly_ does your dad do for a living?"

  
  


"He works for the National Security Agency. So, see, he would be able to trace the call, and he'd have his work buds with him. He's just looking for me, that's all."

  
  


My father came across the street with a few of his work buds.

  
  


"If we don't find that kid," my father started. "Visser Three will make us wish we were dead."

  
  


I felt like I had been hit with a fucking truck. It was true. It was all fucking true!! My father, my mother. They were each one of them! For the second time today I felt like throwing up, and it's been a while since I last ate. 

  
  


My father started to come toward us.

  
  


"He's coming this way. He'll see us." I was able to sputter.

  
  


No, he won't said Marco. That's when I heard the sound of something large running. I looked out to see and it was a rhinoceros. The Rhino started to rough up my dad and his friends. 

  
  


That would be Jake. Marco said. I turned and realized I was talking to a gorilla. He and the others have been taking turns watching my house in case there was any trouble. They followed us. So Marco could turn into a gorilla and Jake could turn into rhinoceros. So who were the bear and tiger?

  
  


I had decided I had seen enough. I sulked back into the shadows. I heard some shuffling, yelling, but I stayed behind the shadows.

  
  


My life was over.

  
  


No school, which is not such a bad thing.

  
  


No mall, no movies, no TV.

  
  


No home. No family.

  
  


No Steph.

  
  


I was a soldier now. A warrior. But what was I fighting for?

  
  


I felt the shadow of a gorilla loom over me. Seen enough?

  
  


No family.

  
  


No Steph.


	5. Initiation

**_March 17, 1999_**

  
  


**__**It was Wednesday.

  
  


I spent the afternoon in the woods. Walking, mostly. I found a nice big, smooth rock that jutted over a stream. I spent a lot of time sitting there. I considered breaking into a Holiday Inn several times. Kinda hard with Tobias watching over me every fucking second. It was after 2:30, so they should be getting out of school. Tobias and I were waiting outside Cassie's barn waiting for them. After several failed attempts this morning, Tobias had stopped trying to make conversation with me. After a few minutes of silence he went to go find Ax. 

  
  


I lost my family. And what had I gained? Six personal slavemasters.

  
  


Tobias was friendly to me, but he wasn't human. Not anymore. I don't care if he was once a human, he isn't one now. He doesn't know what it's like for a human with no home. He only knows what it's like to be a hawk.

  
  


The Andalite kid, Aximili, was civil to me as well, but to lesser extent than Tobias. I could tell it had this arrogance around itself. Like we were all just stupid earthlings. It was friends with the other Animorphs, but it did not approve of me becoming part of the group. Still, it treated me as more of a person than the others.

  
  


To Jake Berenson, the leader, I was a burden. To him, I was an extra soldier, so I might be useful. On the downside, he didn't know me, and I didn't know shit about war. Jake was treating me like a fucking chess piece and didn't really think of me as a person. Still, if I was in charge with saving the fucking world, I'd have personality problems too.

  
  


Rachel Berenson, Jake's cousin. The warrior princess. Psycho-bitch. She liked that we had an extra person. "The bigger the army"-type mentality. She was all into the war thing. But, personally, she didn't like me. That was clear. Her feelings were the exact opposite of the Andalite's. She was in favor of me joining but didn't like me. Aximili was against me joining but had no qualms with me personally.

  
  


Marco McCabe. If I had to blame any one person for my situation in life it would be him. That fucker couldn't have just left me alone. I would never have tried to sell the damn box if he and his friends hadn't tried to steal it. And the asshole didn't like me _nor_ did he want me part of the group.

  
  


The only one who had any real concern for me as a person was Cassie Verenda. Jake's girlfriend and Rachel's best friend. This morning, before she left for school she hid me some breakfast in the hayloft. I found it after her father had left the barn. It was a tupperware container filled with oatmeal. Still warm. Also a thermos filled with orange juice. It was all right. The oatmeal could have used some syrup or brown sugar. Still, Cassie was the only one who worried about such things like "feeding David". I was positive she was the reason that others hadn't lost it yet, and if I were to survive with this brat pack, she would be the key. The thing about Cassie though, . . . . 

  
  


She reminded me of Steph. The physical similarities are nonexistent of course. Stephanie had a fully formed figure. Cassie is still kinda flat. While Stephanie was klutzy and kind of absent-minded, Cassie seems to have this deep, unwavering awareness. And I have yet to see her bump into anything. And all the colors are wrong. Hair. Eyes. Skin.

  
  


Superficial bullshit. Inside, they were the same I realized. Despite the differing colors, the gazes of their eyes are identical. Piercing, soothing, caring. 

  
  


I shook my head disapprovingly. No, David. Falling in love with Cassie won't bring Stephanie back. And I don't think hitting on the leader's girlfriend will make things easier.

  
  


"David?"

  
  


I turned my head suddenly. Steph? 

  
  


No, it was Cassie.

  
  


"Yeah?" I replied back.

  
  


"We're ready."

  
  


I followed her into the barn where Jake, Rachel, and Marco were.

  
  


"Help with the cage, will you guys?" Cassie asked.

  
  


In the center of their little circle was a divided wire cage. Poles were passed through, front to back, one on each side. Jake, Cassie, Rachel, and Marco each took a pole end. Looks like no one thought of asking me.

  
  


The cage held two large birds. Well, actually, one large bird. One huge honking bird, an eagle I thought. Not a Bald eagle, but an eagle just the same. Both birds were being cared for in Cassie's barn. Both were being released.

  
  


Tobias came down and landed on a log.

  
  


What are you doing with _that_? He demanded, glaring at the eagle. Of course, he's a hawk. He always glares.

  
  


"Relax, relax, Tobias." Cassie said, setting down the cage.

  
  


You're not releasing him near my territory. He said defiantly.

  
  


"Tobias, this bird has only been at the center for a couple of days. He has a well-established territory back in the mountains. You know golden eagles don't like roosting in trees if they can find a nice cliff. So he won't be hanging around. But we can't get him any closer to his territory, really, because the road back up there washed out."

  
  


Tobias continued to glare. He then looked at me. Then Jake.

  
  


"David's here to acquire his first morph. The merlin." Jake answered the unspoken question.

  
  


Wait. They already chose which morph I was going to acquire? Where the fuck was I? "Which one's the merlin?" I asked.

  
  


"The smaller bird." Cassie said. "They're very fast, very agile." she added making it seem like a sweet deal.

  
  


I wasn't totally bought. "Faster than the big one?" I asked.

  
  


You don't want to be a golden eagle. Tobias said. They're jerks. They go after other birds. Not to mention anything from a rabbit to a small deer. And I'm not kidding about the deer. I saw a golden eagle take down a young doe. Sank those talons right into the back of her head, boom, she went down like she'd been shot.

  
  


That thing could take down a deer? Cool. "I want to do the eagle."

  
  


Big Jake hesitated. "Any special reason?"

  
  


"Yeah. You tell me I have no home. No family. Now I'm supposed to be in the middle of some war with aliens. If I'm in a war, I want to kick butt."

  
  


"It isn't always about sheer power." Jake said. "That golden eagle is as big as a bald eagle, and we have problems sometimes with Rachel being a bald eagle because of the size."

  
  


"That bird has a seven-foot wingspan." Cassie pointed out. For what reason was beyond me.

  
  


I trampled some leaves and grass underfoot. "Did Jake here tell you all what animals to morph? Or did you pick them yourselves?"

  
  


"I'm not telling you what animal to morph." Jake said as calmly as he could, but I could tell that I was irritating him. Fuck him.

  
  


"Okay, then I'll morph the eagle."

  
  


"Here's an idea." Marco started. "How about not being such a jerk? We saved you from the Yeerks. We've been doing this for awhile, all right? We know what we're talking about. And Jake is the leader of this group, so how about if you show some respect?"

  
  


"Who are you my father? You don't tell me what to do. No one tells me what to do." I was yelling. I was venting. I've had a shitty week so far and it was only half over. "As for saving me, hah! That's a fucking joke. You wanted the blue box, and now you have it, and you know what I have? Nothing. That's what I have, nothing. So thanks."

  
  


"Look kid--" Rachel started, but Jake silenced her with a simple gesture. God, they were all his fucking puppets!

  
  


"You guys all think you're so tough and so cool. All these battles you've been in and all. But now, here I am, the new guy, as usual for me, and you don't like me."

  
  


"No one doesn't like you." Cassie said. 

  
  


I thought about outing Rachel's true feelings about me, but she's Cassie's best friend. So I singled out Marco.

  
  


"_He_ doesn't." I said glaring at Marco. "I'm not an idiot, you know. I can tell what people think about me. My family moves every couple of years whenever my dad gets transferred. I'm always the new kid in school. So I've gotten good at telling what people think of me. And now, here I am in this different school, and I'm the new kid. So, look, maybe you like me, maybe you don't like me, I don't care. I'm here. If you use the blue box on me I'm one of you. But I'm not going to get pushed around. And I'm not going to be all 'Oh, thank you, wise and wonderful Animorphs, for letting me join.' If I'm in, I'm in all the way. If not . . . I guess I'll walk away and try to figure out what to do. On my own."

  
  


My little speech left everyone pretty silent. Marco's face was one of resigning acceptance. Jake's face was neutral. Tobias's face was feathery and unreadable. Cassie's face had fallen into an expression of worry.

  
  


Rachel actually had a smirk on her face. "Oh, he'll fit in fine."

  
  


"Where's Ax?" Jake asked Tobias

  
  


Can't you hear him? You people are so deaf. He's galloping, should appear right about . . . there

  
  


The Andalite came running gingerly out of the forest. I am sorry to be late. I had to go out of my way to avoid some human campers. Are we going ahead with the Escafil Device?

  
  


"Yes." Jake answered

  
  


I swear to God, he hesitated before he answered.

  
  


Rachel tossed my box to Ax. The Andalite dropped it and caught it again with the flat of its tail blade. The Andalite raised my box to its hands and held the box out to me.

  
  


Press your hand on the square nearest to you. It told me.

  
  


"Wait! Shouldn't there be some kind of ceremony or something?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Like what?" Marco wondered. "You want us all to join hands and sing 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?"

  
  


"No, I don't know all the words." Cassie admittted. With a cute grin she suggested, "We could sing MMMBop."

  
  


I laughed. I couldn't help it. She was cute when she was funny. Like Steph . . . 

  
  


Focus, David!

  
  


I stepped toward the Andalite. Because of this fucker, my father was now counting in base nine. I ignored the impulse to strangle it as I put my hand on the top square of my box. After a few seconds I felt a tingling sensation run through my body.

  
  


"It tingles." I shared.

  
  


I removed my hand from the box. Marco stepped forward. He stuck out his hand. I took it.

  
  


"Welcome to the Animorphs, new boy."

  
  


They each shook my hand. Even the Andalite. Tobias just sort of nodded to me and I nodded back. Cassie gave me a sort of half-hug.

  
  


Which got a split-second suspicious look from Jake. Heh-heh.

  
  


Cassie then cracked open the cage to the golden eagle.

  
  


"You just put your hand in very slowly." She instructed. My hand was shaking as I moved it toward the bird. "Now press your palm against the bird's shoulder." I did. The eagle gave me a look, decided I wasn't important, and looked the other way. 

  
  


Story of my life.

  
  


"Focus your mind." Cassie continued. "See the eagle in your imagination. Think about him, what he is, what he represents."

  
  


It was a strange feeling. I felt my eyes close as I focused on the eagle who was becoming a part of me.

  
  


"Now take your hand away." Cassie said. "You now have the golden eagle inside you. His DNA is in your blood. You can become him."

  
  


Fuckin' 'A. "When do I do it?"

  
  


"Soon." Jake says. "We also have to get you a morph with some teeth. Cassie? Take David to the zoo. With your access he should be able to get in and out without being spotted, but the rest of us will fly cover. Let him have whatever morph he wants. But also get him a bug or two in case has to get small. We want to be ready." He turned to face me. "We have a little . . . situation. A mission."

  
  


"Nothing to worry about, though." Marco said. "Just the usual: Save the world from the alien invaders. You'll get used to it."

  
  
  
  


Cassie and I were in some rank corridor behind the cages at the zoo part of The Gardens. For the price of admission, I really should have been allowed to ride a few roller coasters, but they wouldn't let me. Uptight motherfuckers. 

  
  


"This is the Rhinoceros cage. And this one has the tigers." Cassie said in her perky tour-guide voice.

  
  


"What kind of battle morphs do you all have?" I asked.

  
  


"Well, Tobias and Ax usually fight as themselves, but sometimes Tobias will go Hork-Bajir and Ax will go rattlesnake. The other four of us all have wolf morphs, but I'm the only one who uses it consistently in battle. Rachel will usually fight as either an Elephant or a Grizzly Bear."

  
  


So Rachel was the Bear. Rachel was the one who threw me out the fucking wall. "And Marco?"

  
  


"A Gorilla."

  
  


I rolled my eyes. "Figures. It suits his personality. I saw him use it last night. Your boyfriend used a rhino morph last night. Is that his usually battle morph?"

  
  


Cassie seemed a little taken aback by my referral to Jake as her boyfriend. "Uh . . . no. He usually uses a tiger morph. Most of us agree that it's the best of all of us."

  
  


"A tiger, huh?" I wondered aloud. I admit it. I was trying to outdo Jake. The best battle morph? We'll see. 

  
  


Now. I thought. What could beat a tiger? An elephant maybe? Nah, too big. It would be like raptors on a Brontosaurus. A grizzly? Too slow. Only another tiger could beat a tiger. Or at least another big cat, but what? Cheetahs. Leopards. Jaguars. Too small. The tiger bettered them in size. I need one closer to the tiger's size.

  
  


"What's in this one?" I asked Cassie.

  
  


"Leopards."

  
  


"And this one?"

  
  


"Jaguars."

  
  


"Are all the big pussycats in a row?"

  
  


"Yeah." Cassie said kind of laughing. "That's the lion's door at the far end."

  
  


"Lion, huh?" I said as I thought. Lions. King of the jungle. They were so close to being as large and heavy as tigers that the difference was not real significant. And unlike a tiger, a lion had a luxurious mane that protected his neck. "Open the Lion's door." 

  
  


Cassie did, and I stepped in. There were five females lounging around. I wanted a male. Then all of the sudden, he sprang in front of me._ An intruder! In my forest?? _

  
  


"David! Be careful!" Cassie said.

  
  


The Gold mane nearly matched my own blonde hair. Nature's crown. Proof to all the Jungle that he was King. How was I going to acquire him? Then I got it.

  
  


I could the feel the smirk grow on my face. It was what Steph and Jason called my I've-got-a-weird-idea-that-I'm-going-to-try-even-though-it-is-totally-insane smirk. First, I took off my shirt.

  
  


"David, what are you doing?"

  
  


I knelt down and got on all fours. I lowered my head till I had to look up to see the Lion's face. He looked at me, decided I wasn't an immediate threat and put his paw on my shoulder, inspecting me, touching me. And since, I was not wearing a shirt, technically, I was also touching him.

  
  


I concentrated on him. The luxurious mane. The powerful jaws. The body of molten steel. The paw on my shoulder. Almost immediately I could feel that the paw was not pushing down on me that hard.

  
  


"It's going through its acquiring trance. Now get out of there!"

  
  


No. I was making sure that this magnificent creature was becoming a part of me. After a minute I backed out of the cage and closed the bars. I saw the lion come out of the trance. 

  
  


"Grrrrrrrrrrrr." It growled at me. I stood there, unwavering, staring at him back. For what seemed like an eternity in a second, we stared each other down. 

  
  


Then he walked away.

  
  


Heh-heh.

  
  


I put my shirt back on. "Is that it for here?"

  
  


"No." Cassie answered, snapping out of her funk of watching me and the lion. "You need a bug morph." She walked toward a bug trap on the ground and open it. "Yes! Here acquire this." She held up the trap to reveal a stuck, squirming, still alive cockroach.

  
  


"That's a fucking cockroach." I said very matter-of-factly. 

  
  


Cassie shrugged her shoulders. "Touch it." 

  
  


"I'm not touching that."

  
  


"David, you need a bug morph. Sometimes smaller is good."

  
  


I wasn't going to argue with that logic. Still, it was a fucking cockroach! The mascot of filth. After much sneering in disgust, I placed my finger on it. Fucking oily. I concentrated on it. And after absorbing the power of two magnificent golden animals, I was now soiling my blood with the DNA of a cockroach. 

  
  


On the other hand, these filthy motherfuckers could survive a nuclear holocaust, so maybe they weren't all bad.


	6. First Mission

**_Still March 17, 1999_**

  
  


**__**__It was still Wednesday.

  
  


We all hooked up at Cassie's barn. Discussing this new mission. Cassie gave me the basics. Six powerful nations' leaders all in one place. One was already a controller. Security up the wazoo.

  
  


"Is this the kind of shit you do on a regular basis?" I asked Cassie on the way back.

  
  


"No, actually, this is our biggest and most important mission to date." She answered back.

  
  


"Well, aren't I the timely one."

  
  


When we got there, Rachel presented a brochure of the Marriott Resort she downloaded off the Internet. This included a map of the place. A twenty-story building with ten smaller cottages.

  
  


"They'll be in the cottages." Marco said. He clarified. "The leaders, I mean. They'll dump all their people in the main building."

  
  


"Sounds right." Jake agreed.

  
  


"They'll have security so tight no one will be able to burp without nice guys in sunglasses running over with their Uzis cocked and ready. French security, German Security, Japanese security--"

  
  


"Ninjas?" I wondered aloud.

  
  


"Yeah, Jackie Chan himself." Marco said sarcastically rolling his eyes self-righteously.

  
  


But I countered. "He's Chinese, not Japanese." Then I rolled my eyes back at him for good measure.

  
  


Marco continued. "British security and no say 'Bond, James Bond" please." I considered saying it just to piss him off. I decided against it. "Russian security and American secret service, FBI, and local cops. Now just to make things really fun there are the Yeerks. How many of the hotel's maids and waiters and pool boys are Controllers? Don't know. How many of the Russian, German, British, French, Japanese, and US security are also Controllers? Don't know. All we know is that one of these presidents or prime ministers is a Controller."

  
  


"At least one." Cassie interjected. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's kind of important. Erek said one of them was a Controller. He didn't say for sure that the other five were not."

  
  


Who the hell was Erek? I decided to let it go. Instead, I considered what Cassie said. Whomever this Erek was, the Animorphs considered him to be a good source of information. So one of these world leaders probably is a controller. Still, if any or all of the other five were controllers, this mission would be pointless. I would have brought that up to make myself sound valuable, but that would have meant making Cassie look stupid. Which I so did not want to do. When I knew them better I could point out their mistakes, but now I had to play the good soldier who wasn't any trouble. So instead, I brought up the other point I had picked up.

  
  


"Can I say something?" I asked.

  
  


"Sure." Rachel said. "As long as it isn't more bad news."

  
  


"It kind of is. My dad is part of the National Security Agency. What they do is electronic surveillance. You know, like bugging phones and watching people from satellites in orbit? Well, it just seems to me the Yeerks can do all those things plus more. So probably the entire Marriott resort is being watched by the Yeerks."

  
  


"I'm pretty sure I said, 'No more bad news'. Oh, man."

  
  


"We have no choice." Jake said. "Do we?"

  
  


If the Yeerks get to the President and these other guys, we might as well give up. Tobias said. Six powerful world leaders, all Controllers? I mean, those six people are just slightly more powerful than the seven of us.

  
  


"All that security." Jake said. "That's a lot of ways to get shot."

  
  


"Yeah." Rachel agreed. "So. Let's do it."

  
  


"You ready?" Jake asked me.

  
  


At that moment I felt fear well up in me. I was about to face the very people who I had destroyed my life only yesterday. I couldn't speak. So I nodded.

  
  


"Okay." Jake said. "This should be a nice, safe, easy trip down the coast. We're just spying the situation out. You'll need the eagle morph, but the other morph you acquired at the zoo."

  
  


"Still, the morphing will be very creepy." Cassie warned me. "So be prepared. What you do is just concentrate. Focus on the eagle."

  
  


I focused on my memory of the eagle. Trying to will my body to shift, twist, and morph.

  
  


"It's going to be weird." Rachel warned.

  
  


I looked down to see if any changes had taken place. My hands were brown.

  
  


"It won't hurt." Marco said.

  
  


I continued willing the change. Lines appeared on my now-brown flesh. Lines became the outlines of many feathers. Then I started to shrink.

  
  


"What's happening?" I cried.

  
  


"You're getting smaller." Cassie said very soothingly. "It's part of the process. Now the lines on your skin will deepen and go three-dimensional. You may feel itching."

  
  


Despite Cassie's reassuring words I yelped when the outlines on arms popped out of my skin like they jumped off a movie screen like in _Last Action Hero_. Through it all I didn't dare to stop willing myself to the change. Else, I would appear a coward. I would not appear to be a coward to them.

  
  


Even if in truth I actually was.

  
  


It has been something I've been thinking about all day. Can I be a good soldier? Am I a brave warrrior? Or am I a coward?

  
  


Truth was I was scared. But I couldn't be brave, unless I was scared.

  
  


"Just hope he doesn't do that finger bone thing I did the other day." Marco said to Jake. "That'd rock his world."

  
  


As if the Angels of Irony had heard him, immediately, both of my arms went shooting out, lengthening suddenly. The bones of my arms and fingers shot out, bare and white and as thin as straw.

  
  


I screamed. "Aaaaaaaaaahhhh! Aaaaaahhhh!"

  
  


"Eeeewwww! Now _that's _gross." Rachel, of course. Queen of tact.

  
  


"Ride through it." Cassie said. "Just stay with it. Look! See? The flesh and the feathers are covering the bones now."

  
  


Even throughout the bare bones thing, I had continued to will the change. I couldn't be brave unless I was scared.

  
  


"Don't sweat it." Marco said. "Wait till you morph a fly. You want to see disgusting? That's disgusting. This is nothing."

  
  


"I don't want to-" I started to say, but right then my lips jutted forward and I grew a beak. I was small now, with wonderfully large wings. But my clothing started to come up around me like a tent.

  
  


"Umm, guys?" Marco said. "David here doesn't know how to morph clothing yet. He doesn't have a morphing suit."

  
  


You mean I was going to be fucking naked?! Fucking shit, man!

  
  


"Rachel and I will look away till he figures it out." Cassie said.

  
  


"We can get him something nice." Rachel said.

  
  


"Okay, now you can't talk anymore, but you can thought-speak. Just think of who you want to talk to, whether it's me, or Marco, or all of us at once. Form the words in your mind, and we'll hear them."

  
  


Can you hear this? I tried.

  
  


"Yes. See? It's easy." Cassie nodded. "But now comes the really tricky part, because the eagle's brain, its basic instincts will kick in and --"

  
  


ANOTHER BIRD! NOT LIKE ME! INFERIOR! MUST DESTROY! MY TERRITORY! MINE! MINE!

  
  


I flew toward the inferior bird, unfortunately I had stuff all over me and something had jumped onto my back. Something large and gangly. 

  
  


The inferior bird retreated up into the rafters. See! See what I mean? Golden Eagles. They're all psycho. Them and crows. And jays. And a few other birds I could mention. I mean, there are plenty of mice to go around, no one needs to be attacking fellow birds.

  
  


"David, David!"

  
  


SOUNDS! VOICES! MEANINGLESS!

  
  


"Think, now. Focus. Your name is David. You're human. Get a grip."

  
  


Steph??__

  
  


But it wasn't Steph. It was Cassie. And I was David. A boy, not a bird.

  
  


That was weird. It was like I was myself, only suddenly there was someone else in my head, too.

  
  


You will become accustomed to it. the Andalite said. When I morph a human I often experience the human mind and human instincts. The need for food, for example.

  
  


"Yeah, don't get between Ax and a cinnamon bun." Marco said.

  
  


"You want to try to fly?" Jake asked me.

  
  


Fly?

  
  


"Duh." said Marco self-righteously again. "What do you think those wings are for?"

  
  


How do I do it?

  
  


"Well, first wait for us to morph." Cassie said. "Then trust the eagle. He knows how to fly."

  
  


I saw the other morph into birds. Cassie did it much nicer than the others. Even the Andalite. I looked around at the different birds. Jake had turned into a small bird. Falcon, probably. The Andalite had turned into some grayish hawk. Rachel was turning into a Bald Eagle. 

  
  


So she was the one who came through my window. Who was the other hawk looking thing?

  
  


I looked at the other Animorphs. I finally recognized the bird that had broken into my room. Marco!

  
  


You! I said to Marco. You and Rachel were the ones who tried to steal my box. You were the hawk.

  
  


Three things. Marco said to me. One: Osprey, not hawk. Two: It's not _your_ box. Three: How do you know it was me? Cassie has an identical osprey morph.

  
  


I looked at Cassie. Marco was right. They looked identical. Probably the same bird. Still, something in my gut. It was you. I said glaring at Marco.

  
  


It doesn't matter! Jake said. Let's fly! 

  
  


I watched the others do their take-offs. Tobias was the best naturally. Having tons of practice. I did what they did. I opened my wings and I was lifted off.

  
  


Ever since I ran into these guys, I've been attacked by birds, thrown through walls, met more aliens than I ever wanted to, and seen more things to give me nightmares in three days than all of the scary movies I watched when I was seven put together. Nothing good has ever come from them. So with that in mind I would just like to say . . . 

  
  


Flying Rocks!!!!

  
  


This is so excellent! I yelled for probably the millionth time. I can see everything! I can see little crabs all the way down there on the beach! I mean, whoa! Look! Look! Look at this!

  
  


Yeah, yeah, it's cool, but I'm trying to think here. Marco told me.

  
  


Yah-haaaaaah! I was pushed up high by a warm updraft, called a thermal. Flying was fucking cool, but there was more to it then just moving from place to place in the sky. I did all the bird stuff. Soaring, Diving. Jake was the smallest of us all in bird morph. He could dive the fastest and soar the lowest. Rachel being the largest could soar the highest and dive the slowest. For some reason, by golden eagle morph was second best in all three categories. Size. Soaring height. Diving speed. I may have not been the best in anything, but being second best in everything made me the best overall! 

  
  


And they wanted me to morph that fucking merlin!

  
  


Still, I was a predatory bird. I wanted to see what this morph could really do! There was a flock of crows flying a few hundred feet down. They knew to stay away from the silhouette of a bird-of-prey. Predatory Bird, eh? Let's see how predatory this bird can be!

  
  


I spilled some wind, tucked my wings back, and dove. The slightest twitch of my tail feathers will change my direction. All the better to zero in on my victim. And below me were ten crows flying in formation. I would handpick one to die! You! You will die!

  
  


Yeeee-haaaaaaaahh! I'm doing it! I yelled as the thrill and rush of power intoxicated me.

  
  


Closing in! Talons raked forward! STRIKE! The crow let out a whimpering "caw!" of pain as I ended its meaningless life.

  
  


I caught a breeze again, leveled off, and swooped back upward. The lifeless crow tumbled down to the ground. Food for the maggots. 

  
  


What are you doing?! Jake roared. I guess he didn't approve of my demonstration of raptor power.

  
  


Um . . . . um . . . I guess this eagle's brain kind of took over for a minute. I lied. I can't believe I just did that! That poor bird! I just lost control.

  
  


It's okay David. Cassie comforted. It happens to all of sometimes.

  
  


When Marco morphed your pet snake yesterday, he nearly ingested me in spider morph. the Andalite added.

  
  


The others were pretty silent, but I think they all bought it.

  
  


Hey look! Tobias said. There's a helicopter coming up behind us. Marine Corps helicopter. It's . . . whoa! That must be Marine One!

  
  


Marine what? Rachel asked.

  
  


You know, Air Force One, the President's jet? Marine One is the President's helicopter. Tobias explained.

  
  


The stuff you know, Tobias.Rachel said admirably.

  
  


Well, I knew that! 

  
  


I looked at Marine One. There was an identical helicopter just behind it. And it must have been very hot because the air above it swirled as if it was coming off hot asphalt.

  
  


Oh, man! Tobias yelled. We've seen that before!

  
  


What's the matter? I asked.

  
  


Yeerk stealth technology. the Andaltie answered calmly. Human eyes would never notice. Human radar won't spot it. But these eyes are very good. And Yeerk technology is, well, it's not exactly Andalite technology.

  
  


So what is it?

  
  


Yeerk Spacecraft. Shielded. Marco answered. One coming right up behind the President's helicopter. They aren't going to wait for the conference. The Yeerks are going after him right now!

  
  


Move! Move! Move! Jake yelled. 

  
  


To where?! The helicopter or the shimmering effect? Actually, it didn't make much of a difference, because the shimmering effect was closing in on the helicopter. With the eagle's eyes I could make some broad assessment of this shimmering effect which was in reality a Yeerk spacecraft. One thing was clear. It was fucking huge! And something about it radiated trouble. It was the same unsettling feeling I got from the yeerk-controlled Andalite, known as Visser Three, when I saw it in my room. This was probably its ship.

  
  


The seven of us closed in on the helicopter and Yeerk ship. I was up front until Jake caught up with me. The others were still behind. A long, narrow rectangle began to appear, like someone ripped a hole in the fucking sky. 

  
  


The Blade Ship is opening its belly hatch. said the Andalite.

  
  


Blade Ship? That's what this is called? They have to keep me better informed. The hatch positioned itself over the helicopter. Then the helicopter's rotors slowed down. The engine was killed.

  
  


They have it! the Andalite yelled. Force field is on. It killed the engines. They will probably have stunned the humans on board.

  
  


Aim for those pylons! Jake said as we neared the helicopter. I began to soar and once again Jake was right behind me.

  
  


The other chopper's going to see that this one has disappeared. Tobias said. Even humans aren't that blind! Again the Angels of Irony struck as the helicopter glowed and a second helicopter separated from the first one. It looked as if the helicopter decided to have an out-of-body experience right then and there.

  
  


A hologram. the Andalite said.

  
  


The Yeerk ship began to lift the real helicopter into its belly hatch. Jake and I soared up. I grabbed a strut and held on. Jake caught the edge of one of the pylons. That's when the hatch began to close. The other Animorphs struggled to get in before the hatch closed.

  
  


No way! I heard Marco yell. 

  
  


One of the ospreys, maybe Marco, maybe Cassie, zoomed through. Then the gray hawk (the Andalite). And by the skin of its beak, the second osprey made it through.

  
  


Yes! Yelled Marco, who was obviously the second osprey. The red-tailed hawk and the bald eagle were stuck outside.

  
  


Jake, Marco, Cassie, the Andalite, and I made it inside. Rachel and Tobias did not. The helicopter rested in a shallow ditch in the deck. Jake, Cassie, and the Andalite were on one side. Marco and I were on the other.

  
  


Demorph. Jake commanded. This is going to get nasty. Be ready for a fight.

  
  


We demorphed. I was out of Cassie's sight, so I didn't mind demorphing naked. Honestly, I barely noticed I was only wearing my birthday suit. I was so fucking scared, I felt I was going to shit my pants. If I were wearing pants. No else seemed to notice I was butt naked, either.

  
  


Around I could see Hork-Bajir feet. And one pair of human feet, wearing shoes of course. The heel was slashed for some reason.

  
  


"Ax, we need a distraction." Jake whispered.

  
  


Yes, Prince Jake, I think that would be a good idea. said the Andalite. 'Prince Jake'? Whatever.

  
  


The Andalite tried to squeeze in under the helicopter, but it was a tight fit. It became evident that we could not go into our combat morphs. Damn. And I wanted to try out my lion morph.

  
  


"David, did Cassie set you up with a bug morph?" Marco asked me.

  
  


I had to think. It was just a few hours ago. Why couldn't I remember? Oh, yeah. "She made me touch . . . I mean, acquire . . . a cockroach. Is that what you mean?" 

  
  


He didn't bother answering me. "Jake, he has a cockroach morph. What do you think?" I couldn't hear Jake's response, but I imagine it was agreeable with Marco. "Okay, dude, we're morphing roaches. Just focus down hard, shut your eyes, and don't think about it." And after much staring in disbelief, Marco reminded me to close my eyes as I started my morph, which I did for about a second.

  
  


Out of the three animals I had acquired, the cockroach was the one I was least looking forward to morphing. Fucking oily motherfuckers. The fact that they could survive a nuclear holocaust was becoming less of an appealing selling point. 

  
  


I had already morphed an eagle. That was frightening, but cool. I mean, it was frightening because it was the first time. At least that's what I kept telling myself. But now I was morphing a fucking cockroach! These animals were not cool. They were fucking disgusting!

  
  


But I wasn't disgusted. I was scared.

  
  


But it isn't brave if you're not scared.

  
  


I began the morph. The first that happened is that I was shrinking. I was already down to two and a half feet before I felt my back harden. _Okay, not so bad_. My neck started to pinch. My arms and legs segmented. _Okay, weird, but not too bad_. 

  
  


But, I didn't really believe that. Morphing the eagle wasn't so bad. Morphing a roach was something out of a fucking horror flick! But I had to keep cool. _Do not freak, David. Do not freak, David._

  
  


I looked over at Marco. He was almost all roach. And as I felt my nose squish down and my face turn hard, I saw some extra legs pop out of Marco's stomach. Then the same happened to me. 

  
  


That's it. I had enough.

  
  


I screamed.

  
  


"Ahhhh! Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh!"

  
  


Shut up, you moron! Marco yelled at me. Fuck him.

  
  


David, calm down, it's okay. Cassie said to me, very soothingly.

  
  


But not even Cassie's soothing could get me to calm down. It was fucking insane! No way could I do this.

  
  


We need to get outta here! Jake said. David. DAVID! Listen to me. Get a grip. Do it now. You can be hysterical some other time.

  
  


Get out of here? He was right. I stopped screaming and started demorphing. No way could I finish this morph. 

  
  


David, listen to me. Cassie started to say. You are going to die if you don't get a grip. Finish morphing the cockroach. It's the only way.

  
  


No fucking way!

  
  


Do it, David. I know it's creepy, but it's better than being dead. Besides, we've all done it. Marco has done it. He's not screaming like a baby, is he? Aren't you as tough as Marco? You know what Marco did the first time he morphed a roach? Just what you're doing. He freaked. But he maintained. It's okay that you freaked. But you have to maintain now.

  
  


A baby? Okay? Did Cassie call me a coward? Maybe that wasn't her intent, but basically she said in not so many words, that I was less of a man than Marco. I reversed the morph. I was started to become more roach-like. 

  
  


If he can do it, I can do it. I said defiantly. 

  
  


When you've kicked half the Yeerk ass I've kicked, then you can talk, New-boy! Marco yelled back. 

  
  


I would have answered him too, if I hadn't felt the roach consciousness bubble up at that point.

  
  


VIBRATION! MOVEMENT! LIGHT! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!

  
  


The roach definitely did not like all the movement going on. I was zooming all over. The roach brain felt most comfortable under the helicopter. It calmed, and I got hold of the roach brain. Good thing to, because right then, the helicopter began to rise, and more light came in. The roach brain was not happy, but I had control of this body now! 

  
  


Motor on outta here! Jake yelled.

  
  


We were fast little suckers. We were Mario Andretti on six legs. But Mario Andretti never had to worry about bludgeons the size of Kansas crushing him.

  
  


Step on them! Crush them! said a new, cruel thought-speech voice. The Yeerk-controlled-Andalite. Visser Three.

  
  


Hork-Bajir feet tried to kill us, but to no avail. We were the invincible roaches!

  
  


Opening up ahead here! Jake yelled. I followed whatever roach was in front of me to a horizontal, dark band between two levels of steel. I crept in.

  
  


Ahh! Marco yelled. Why? Who fucking knew. You didn't hear me screaming.

  
  


Light ahead. the Andalite reported as we traveled the vertically narrow, horizontally infinite passage. Above us, a hurricane of Hork-Bajir running. It was like being inside one of Ricky Ricardo's bongos.

  
  


See, isn't this fun, David? Marco said sounding like a bad comedian again. Ah, yes, life as an Animorph. It's not a job. It's an adventure!

  
  


A death sentence is what it was! But I didn't have time to get into that.

  
  


We came out into the light. We saw a source of more light. And then we heard a sound. HSSSSSSSSS.

  
  


What's that sound? I asked.

  
  


RAID! Marco screamed. They're gassing us!

  
  


The light! the Andalite yelled. Go to the light!

  
  


If that gas reaches us we'll not only go to the light, we'll be saying "hello" to all our dead relatives and explaining our impure thoughts to Saint Peter! Marco cried. Always the fucking comedian.

  
  


What? the Andalite asked, not understanding. Of course, he wasn't human, so what can you expect?

  
  


Just RUUUUUUUN!

  
  


A pole shot up towards the second source of light. Powering that roach body toward the light was sort of difficult. It did not like the light, but we reached it just as the Raid rolled by us.

  
  


Yeeeeee-haaaaahhh! Rachel is going to be so mad she missed this. That was Marco again. Everyone has their own method of dealing in stressful situations. I guess Marco's was being annoying.

  
  


We were in a bright room. I saw one pair of Hork-Bajir feet. And one pair of human shoes. And even through the roach's weird compound eyes, where the colors aren't even close to matching, I could tell that one heel of one shoe had a gouge.

  
  


Slash-shoe man! Marco yelled as if he was answering the winning question of a game show. I guess he figured it out, too, between bouts of being annoying.

  
  


Who? Cassie asked.

  
  


The President of the United States! I've always wanted to meet him. But somehow I wasn't imaging this particular scene. I thought we'd shake hands. And I figured I'd have hands. Marco babbled.

  
  


I wasn't entirely sure that this was Slick Willy, and I was about to share this sentiment when the Andalite piped in.

  
  


Something with four legs.

  
  


Something with four legs was coming. An Andalite. Actually, an Andalite-controller. Visser Three.

  
  


Hide! Fearless Leader commanded.

  
  


Where? Marco wondered.

  
  


Up his leg! Cassie said. The five of us then crawled up the man's pant leg such that we were directly above the sock. We heard the clopping of hooves.

  
  


We're out of time! said the Visser. Insects were discovered beneath the helicopter. The Andalite bandits in morph? Or just insects? Either way, no time left. I'll acquire him now.

  
  


Acquire? Huh? Marco muttered aloud.

  
  


Obviously, the Visser isn't going to infest this guy. Just acquire him so he could morph him. Whomever the hell he was.

  
  


I also noticed the Visser called us "Andalite Bandits." Of course! They thought we were Andalite Warriors. If they knew most of us where human, we would be dead. Of course, it probably didn't make much difference in my case. The Visser's men are already looking for me.

  
  


Now what? I asked after too much dawdling.

  
  


Good question. Cassie muttered.

  
  


The Yeerks started to drag the man.

  
  


They're putting him back on the helicopter. The Andalite theorized. I belive they intend to return the helicopter to its original flight plan, replacing the hologram. They'll reverse the stun effect and all the humans on board will wake up, remembering nothing. It will be as if nothing happened.

  
  


I agree. Jake said.

  
  


Do we stay with the hairy leg here, or do we bail and maybe do some damage here on the blade ship? Marco asked.

  
  


Bail. We can't demorph in the President's helicopter. Jake commanded. The president won't be alone. And even if he's straight, others may not be. There could be a shoot-out.

  
  


So? I asked. I thought we were supposed to kick ass?

  
  


Not on our own President, duh. Marco said. And if he had a face, I was sure he would have gave me that same fucking self-righteous look.

  
  


Any ways, we bailed. We returned to where we started from. Under the helicopter.

  
  


_Wait a minute. If they were returning to the helicopter . . . ._

  
  


Uh-oh Marco said. Again, this guy figured shit out a split-second before I did. It was very frustrating.

  
  


But not as frustrating as trying to run against the wind.

  
  


The hatched opened and the five of us where sent out into the sky.Which pretty much got the same reaction all around.

  
  


Ahhhhhhh!

  
  


Ahhhhhhhh!

  
  


Ahhhhhhhhh!

  
  


I was slightly more articulate however. We're gonna dieeeee!

  
  


Well, it was more constructive than screaming.

  
  


Maybe not.

  
  


I do not believe the impact will kill us. The Andalite corrected. I don't believe our mass is sufficient to cause death when we impact.

  
  


He's right! Cassie cried. You can't kill a cockroach by dropping it. Not even from this high.

  
  


Unless, that's water below us. Marco said. In which case we could hit the water and get chomped by some big hungry fish.

  
  


Should we demorph? the Andalite wondered.

  
  


No time. Jake said. We'd get bigger, more mass, and then when we hit we'd --

  
  


I had the distinct feeling I didn't want him to finish that sentence. Luckily he didn't have to. We stopped falling suddenly.

  
  


That is you guys, right? Rachel asked calmly. I mean I figure, cockroaches falling through the air, gotta be you guys.

  
  


Yeah, you seldom see cockroaches at a thousand feet up. Tobias conferred.

  
  


God, am I glad those two were still outside! They started to descend to let us down.

  
  


Something's bothering me. Marco said as Rachel and Tobias landed.

  
  


What's bothering you? Jake asked.

  
  


Well, I'm in a cockroach body, just fell out of the bottom of a spaceship belonging to brain-stealing alien slugs while trying to save the president of the United States, was rescued by a girl who's temporarily a bald eagle and a guy who's permanently a red-tailed hawk . . . and yet, it all seems normal somehow. Like, okay, that's just to be expected. It's finally happened, hasn't it?

  
  


What's finally happened? 

  
  


I've gone insane! Deedly deeeedly deeedly loooopy! Nutso. Insane in the membrane.

  
  


Does he always do that? I privately asked Cassie.

  
  


Unfortunately, yes. She answered.

  
  


Yeah, well, keep it together. Jake said. The entire human race depends on us winning this battle. 

  
  


Poor human race. Marco joked. Marco was definitely not funny.

  
  


We demorphed in the dunes. I was still demorphing naked.

  
  


"Rachel, Cassie. Look the other way." Jake said helpfully.

  
  


I'll take care of it. Tobias said as he flapped off into the sky.

  
  


I don't understand humans and their strange beliefs when it comes to clothing. The Andalite started. I had a feeling this was the first of many Andalite-superiority-Human-inferiority diatribes I would be subjected to until I was free of these people. You wear artificial skin and artificial hooves. When it is cold that makes sense. But when it is warm it seems strange. And you get so concerned when some article of clothing is missing or worn in the wrong way.

  
  


"You mean like the time you wore socks on your hands?" Marco asked

  
  


"Or the time you wore underwear on the outside of your pants?" Rachel added.

  
  


"You know, maybe this fucking funny to you guys, but it is not all that fucking funny to me! What if someone came along?" I asked.

  
  


Jake laughed at me. "Well, David, if they did, I think they'd probably notice the four-eyed, scorpion-tailed, blue, half-deer-looking alien before they worried about you." Well he had a point. Still, how would he like it if it was his bare ass showing on a public beach? We weren't in France you know. Of course, there were probably enough French people around such that my little nude romp in the sand might make them feel close to home.

  
  


Unless close to home to them is a Yeerk Pool.

  
  


Tobias came in and dropped a pair of orange swim trunks and a Grateful Dead T-shirt. I caught them before they hit the ground and quickly dressed.

  
  


Remind me we have to return those to the Kahuna Beach Shop. Tobias said.

  
  


"You stole them?" Cassie said.

  
  


No, I _borrowed_ them. Besides, I'm a bird. Birds are not capable of stealing. What are they going to do, arrest me? The bird's got a point.

  
  


"We'll find a way to get the money to the store." Jake moralized. "We don't want to even start down that path. In an emergency like this, maybe we can grab something. But we have to make right later. That's the rule."

  
  


"About time." Rachel muttered when I was decent. "I've been staring at a dead sand crab."

  
  


"You know it _would _amazing." I shared.

  
  


"What would be?" Jake asked.

  
  


"Us, with our powers? We could take anything we wanted. We could like morph cheetahs or whatever, run into some jewelry store, grab the diamonds, and get away at sixty miles an hour. What could anyone do? We'd be outta there. Plus, we'd morph back to humans."

  
  


"Let's do that." Marco said sarcastically. "Right after we figure out how to keep the Yeerks from turnign the most powerful leaders in the world into alien-infested zombies. As soon as we're done with that, we start ripping off jewelry stores." His voice was oozing with contempt. 

  
  


"Hey, I was just kidding. I guess I forgot you're the only one allowed to make jokes, Marco." Only what I said wasn't exactly a joke. It was thinking aloud. And apparently to these guys, it hadn't occurred to them yet that to win this war, we might have to get our hands dirty. I mean they've probably morphed more disgusting things then I'm aware of. Still. They couldn't do things that are "wrong". Newsflash! In wartime, the line between right and wrong is blurred.

  
  


Sometimes . . . . there is no line.

  
  


"Okay, time to get serious here." Jake said. "They caught us by surprise. Maybe they know it was us scurrying around up there, maybe they don't. But one way or the other, we have to get inside that resort and get busy."

  
  


"We have to get past the greatest security in the world just to get into that place. We have to go by air. But we can't use our bird-of-prey morphs. That'd be slightly noticeable." Rachel pointed out.

  
  


"No problem. It's the beach. There's one kind of bird no one can keep off the beach. Seagulls."

  
  


"Yeah, well, I don't have a seagull morph, but I'll bet I could morph back into golden eagle morph and bring one down."

  
  


Jake winced. I don't know why. He just did.

  
  


"Tobias?" Jake finally said. "Sorry to keep sending you out for things, but can you get a seagull?"

  
  


"Alive?" Cassie added.

  
  


Can I grab a gull? Puh-leeze. Can Michael Jordan hit a three-pointer? They're just rats with wings. Tobias said as he took off.

  
  


"Tobias is like really into the whole bird thing, isn't he?" I pondered aloud.

  
  


"Tobias just has some fairly definite opinions about birds." Jake confirmed. "He respects most eagles, owls, and other hawks. Looks down on gulls and pigeons. And he absolutely hates jays, crows, and golden eagles."

  
  


Doesn't like Golden Eagles? Why, cause they're better than him? "He's like a racist or something, only with birds instead of people."

  
  


"All those birds are diffrent species." Cassie said. "Humans are all one species. Not really a good comparison."

  
  


I know she was just correcting my thinking. I could see clearly now that my thinking was flawed, but Cassie's presentation lacked her usual tact and comfort.

  
  


Or maybe I just being a pussy again and taking things to seriously. Nevertheless, my feelings were hurt. "Whatever." I finally said.

  
  


Why did it hurt so much?

  
  


If it had been anyone else I would just gotten unnecessarily angry. But with Cassie I was hurt. Why? 

  
  


That was easy. I had feelings for her. Plain and simple. My odds of seeing Stephanie again were minimal. Slim to none. Still, my feelings for Cassie felt wrong. Like I was cheating on Stephanie. Not to mention I'm hitting on the leader's girlfriend.

  
  


_Let it go, David! You'll get over it. You just miss Stephanie, that's all._

  
  


That was actually fun. Tobias said, laughing. See? Oh what? Just because he didn't kill it. He kills more small animals than I do. Snatched him out of midair while he was diving on some guy's sandwich. And, as much as I _so_ did not want to, I acquired the gull. David's not the only one without a gull morph.

  
  


Cassie took the gull and handed it to me. 

  
  


"I'm starting to get this down." I said as I put my hand on the gull. "Just focus and his DNA is mine."

  
  


"Yeah. Easy after a while." Jake concurred. "So let's do it. We morph gulls, we skim down the beach, and land in the resort. See what we see."

  
  


"One big point. Act like gulls okay?" Cassie pointed. "The humans won't be looking for trouble from seagulls. But the Yeerks will."

  
  


I have acquired four animals and, after going seagull, morphed three. I have begun to learn about controlling animal instincts. The first animal I morphed was a territorial predator. And I tried to kill an inferior bird, I mean Tobias. The second animal I morphed was an insect, and it had a lot of fear instinct. 

  
  


This seagull animal was a scavenger. Meaning it goes for anything that can be remotely considered food. Anything.

  
  


Hey! Whoa! Pizza Hut! Marco says. The guy down there on the blue beach towel. He's got an entire large pizza!

  
  


Is he going to eat all that himself? I asked. No way one guy eats a large pizza.

  
  


Keep flying. Jake commanded.

  
  


Fries! Rachel announced.

  
  


Okay, now look, Jake said, trying to get us to focus. we are about to try and-

  
  


Oh! Oh! Fried Chicken! Marco cried. Hey, Tobias. If a seagull eats chicken, is that like cannibalism or something?

  
  


That depends. Tobias answered. Extra crispy or regular?

  
  


We reached the stucco wall. An American Secret Service agent talking on the radio and looking at us. 

  
  


Gee, could that guy look any more like Secret Service? Rachel asked idiotically. And there's another one just ten feet away, along the wall.

  
  


Of course _they're_ Secret Service. I pointed out. But so are some of the people lying out here on the beach. With something like this, probably half the people on the beach are security.

  
  


And of course you're the big expert because your dad is a spy. Marco said, dripping with disgust.

  
  


He's with the National Security Agency, that's right. I said proudly.

  
  


Yeah? Well now he's with the Yeerk Security Agency. 

  
  


I swear to God, if I were in some other morph, or even myself, I would have killed the bastard. I might have even attacked him in seagull morph had Jake not stuck up for me and berated Marco.

  
  


Shut up, Marco! That was over the line! Jake snapped.

  
  


Marco sounded like he was about to throw a tantrum, but as we got near the wall, he just said You're right. I was out of line. Sorry.

  
  


Is it possible to feel even more lonely yet even more part of the group at the same time? The fact that Marco said shit like that to me was clear that I didn't belong among them. Yet, Jake's refusal to let that shit pass just shows that he did care about what happens to me.

  
  


Or maybe he just that we'd all work together better if we were one big happy family.

  
  


One at a time, in different places, we flew over the wall. Unnecessary really. There were so many fucking gulls around the place we could have flew in like the Blue Angels and the spy convention wouldn't have noticed.

  
  


This is easy. I shared. What's the big deal?

  
  


As long as we just want to fly around, no big deal, but we may need to get inside some of these buildings. Jake explained. Maybe _all_ these buildings.

  
  


The question is, where do we begin? pondered the Andalite. And how?

  
  


Okay, there is definitely some security on this place. Marco said. Guys on the roof, guys in bushes, guys sitting in cars, guys out on the golf course pretending to play golf. I looks like _Men in Black 2_ around here. These guys all have the same suit.

  
  


Look! Canine teams! Maybe we could morph German shepherds and get in as part of the canine team. Jake speculated. Yeah, like that would work. The feds would never notice seven uncollared, untrained pooches joining the ranks. This was our fucking leadership?

  
  


Here's an idea. Let's give up. Marco said. This would be totally depressing even if we didn't have to worry about some of these guys being controllers.

  
  


Every square inch of this entire place is being watched. Jake said. We can't morph or demorph anywhere around it. We need to get inside to learn what we want to learn, but that would mean going insect basically. And the problem with any insect morph is that we'd have to morph the bug way outside the compound, which leaves us traveling a long, long way as spiders or cockroaches or flies. None of which can see well enough to travel those distances without getting lost.

  
  


Or eaten. Rachel added morbidly

  
  


You guys could morph fleas and get onto someone who we knew was going to inside the compound. Tobias suggested.

  
  


But fleas are useless for seeing, and they aren't much good at hearing. Cassie pointed out. We'd get in, but once inside we'd get nothing. And how would we ever get back out again?

  
  


Are we beat?

  
  


Maybe. Jake said, sounding defeated, but then in a more Patton-esque tone. Only we can't be. Now matter what the risk, we have to get inside and -- AAAAAAAHHHHH!

  
  


For some reason he decided to scream right then. It was one of genuine pain. I saw a seagull falter.

  
  


Jake, what's happening? Cassie cried.

  
  


AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! screamed the Andalite. I saw another seagull falter.

  
  


What the fuck is going on? I demanded anxiously.

  
  


AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! screamed Tobias. Another faltering seagull.

  
  


It's that guy! Jake said. That bald guy! He's doing it!

  
  


I looked down and saw a bald guy, looking no different than the other feds. Only he was looking up at the birds. He shifted his gaze to another gull. It faltered but then hauled tail feathers out of there. A normal gull.

  
  


Ax! What is that guy doing? Jake asked, sounding about as shaky as Brad Pitt's character in _12 Monkeys_. I don't see any weapon.

  
  


He may . . . The Andalite said, as shaky as Jake. He may be using a very low power Dracon Beam. Possibly hidden on his body, with the sunglasses used as emitters.

  
  


Are you telling me he can shoot whatever he's looking at?

  
  


Yes. It will cause intense pain. As you may have noticed.

  
  


So he's a controller chasing away birds. Tobias rationalized. He doesn't kill us because that would be too obvious - dead birds dropping everywhere.

  
  


Chasing away possible Andalites in morph. Marco concurred.

  
  


Oh, man! Cassie moaned. He's looking at - AAAAAAHHHHHH!

  
  


Cassie! Jake and I yelled at the same time. 

  
  


Oh. Oh, that hurt. Oh man, I'm not kidding here. That was like a full-body dental visit without Novocain.

  
  


Cassie. Bail. Fly away. Jake commanded. That's what a gull would do. But not everyone at once! I added quickly. We can't move like we know what's happening.

  
  


We have to stay here and let that asshole zap us? I demanded. We should either run or go kick his ass for him! The bald guy shifted his gaze toward me. Oh shit! He's looking at me! What am I supposed to do?

  
  


Nothing. Jake said. Unfeeling bastard. Just cause he got zapped didn't mean everyone should! Take it. Then you can bail.

  
  


I floated into the bald man's sights, and it hurt like a motherfucker! It felt like all my muscles, body parts, even my feathers were on fire. Every single on of my cells were exploding. From my beak to my webbed feet. Wing tip to wing tip. My stomach, lungs, bowels, everything hurt. 

  
  


AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I screamed. Fuck! Okay, _that_ was a major fucking ouchie! Goddamn! _Now_ can I get the fuck out of here?

  
  


Yeah, fly. Jake commanded. And by the way, David? Good job.

  
  


Thanks. I said right away. And just to make sure he got the point that I thought we was a total asshole, I added in a sarcastic tone Thanks a lot.

  
  


Tobias and the Andalite got away unsuspiciously. They already felt the blast, no need for them to feel it again. Pretty-Pretty Princess Rachel managed to get away without having to ever feel the blast. Bitch. 

  
  


I flew away feeling contempt for Rachel and Jake. Jake, the self-righteous smug bastard. I continued to fly with this feeling of Jake being this spineless coward, but that was before I heard him cry out a second time.

  
  


Jake took a hit. Got his men out and then took another hit. All to make it look natural. Maybe I didn't like the guy. But, damn, he had balls.

  
  


Could I do what he did?

  
  
  
  


We got back to the barn at around 6:00 at night. Well, Cassie and I did. The others went home. The Andalite retreated into the forest with Tobias. And I, as I said, went home with Cassie. Cassie made a place for me in the same hayloft where she left me breakfast this morning.

  
  


"I brought you chips and a soda, you like Ruffles?" Cassie said very perky-like.

  
  


Actually, I hated Ruffles, but I let it go. I was lying in the hayloft. The way I had been for the last three hours. Thinking about Steph. About this whole stupid war. My mom. My dad. My pets. How much I hated it here. How much I resented Jake and Marco and Rachel. The Andalite and the Bird pissed me off too. All but Cassie.

  
  


But her moralizing was beginning to piss me off as well. That was the one main difference between her and Steph. Cassie had injected all of this moral and ethics into this fucking war. Which, I'm sure, made things more complicated. Stephanie was intelligent, but scatter-brained. She never thought too much about stuff. Of course, Stephanie had never been thrust into a war.

  
  


Cassie had also brought me a Mountain Dew, which was my favourite. So I didn't bitch at her.

  
  


"What's wrong?" She asked me.

  
  


_What the fuck do you think?!_ "Nothing." I said. "I just miss my old life. My parents. My g- . . . pets." I almost said girlfriend, for some reason I didn't. Why not? Why did I hesitated and not tell Cassie about Steph. Why was I hiding it?

  
  


"Pets?"

  
  


"Yeah. Megadeth and Spawn."

  
  


"Spawn's your snake?"

  
  


"Yeah." I guess she missed it. "I miss sleeping in my own bed. My stuff. TV."

  
  


"Yeah, but don't worry it will all turn out for the best."

  
  


"How?" I asked more rudely than I intended.

  
  


Cassie just looked sullen. She didn't answer me. Because she couldn't. 

  
  


"If you had to do it all over again, would you?" I asked her. 

  
  


"I don't know." She said after a pause. "I would like to think so."

  
  


"Why? What is so good about this life?!"

  
  


"We're saving the world."

  
  


_Saving the world??! God, you're a naïve, stupid girl! _I thought to myself. I didn't say anything though. 

  
  


Cassie, on the other hand, seemed to detect my contempt. Still, she was sincerely caring. "Goodnight, David."

  
  


"Goodnight, Cassie." I said as she left.

  
  


Saving the world. I couldn't give two flying fucks about the world. Fucking rock. Why should I give a shit about people who don't care about me?

  
  


My parents. My friends. Stephanie. They cared about me. Jake. Rachel. The Animorphs. They didn't care. 

  
  


Except Cassie. Cassie was the exception. Aw, fuck her! She just complicated things.

  
  


I now had no parents. No friends. No girlfriend. Only the Animorphs. 

  
  


I was my own man now. Lived by my rules. My way.

  
  


No. Jake's rules. Jake's way.

  
  


But Jake couldn't tell me what to do all the time, could he? If I wanted to sleep in a real bed, so be it! If I wanted to watch some TV, I should! And no one, not even Jake, was going to tell me otherwise.

  
  


I got off the hayloft and walked toward the door. 

  
  


I could do what I want now. No parents. No Jake. 

  
  


After all, I was an Animorph.

  
  


******************************************************************************************

God, that took a long time to write. Sorry, it's been a while, but I started a new job teaching swimming lessons, and well, it's time consuming.

  
  


Okay, here it is. This is where the timeline splits. The next chapter will have Future Cassie changing things. 

  
  


I'm starting to get the impression from some of you (Jan Girl specifically) that you all would like me to continue this as it originally was. In other words, finish out the David Trilogy from David's point of view as it originally happened. I will still do the altered timeline, but if I get enough feedback at the reviews or my e-mail address [featherpen@hotmail.com,][1] I will write a separate story and finish up the trilogy with timeline intact.

  
  


Or I could just stop writing this fic altogether, if that's what is wanted. Well, you be the judge. Voice your opinion and the people's will will be carried out.

  
  


Till next we meet,

  
  


Augustine Quill

   [1]: mailto:featherpen@hotmail.com,



	7. Playing Ellimist

  
  


At long last, the timeline changing chapter. 

  
  


What is the smallest possible move? 

What will Cassie do? 

How will she change everything and save everyone?

Will the author ever stop with the annoying questions?

How old IS Augustine Quill?

  
  


All this and more now!

  
  


**********************************************************************************************

  
  


**Cassie******

  
  


**9:10**

  
  


There was no flash of light. All of the sudden I was at my parents' house. The attic. The Time Matrix stood there just like it was part of the junk of the attic. 

  
  


I was in a different time. Back when this house was my home. 1999.

  
  


I would do the least possible thing. The smallest move and let it make all the difference. 

  
  


But to do that, I would need to morph my father.

  
  


I crept into my parents' bedroom. My parents were already sound asleep. They just came back from a convention in Manhattan.

  
  


Funny that I remember that.

  
  


I walked toward my sleeping father. I placed my hand on his forehead.

  
  


"I'm sorry I didn't ask for your permission, but I know you would if I were going to save a life." I said as I acquired his DNA. I began to walk out.

  
  


"Cassie?" My father said half-asleep.

  
  


"Yes Daddy?" I called back.

  
  


My father gave a slight chuckle. "You haven't called me that in a long time." He said as he fell asleep.

  
  


"Longer than you know, Daddy." I said wistfully as I began my morph. I took off my shoes and put on my dad's robe. This morph was one of the strangest I have ever morph. It was strange because it was familiar. I became taller. My shoulders widened. My hair shortened and, in some parts, disappeared on my head. My breasts shrank and were replaced with coarse chest hair. And, well, let's just say a few other parts changed too.

  
  


I came downstairs just as I came in the house.

  
  


Let me clarify. I came down stairs while the Me of the Past just returned from saying goodnight to David.

  
  


David. God, I hope I was doing the right thing.

  
  


I made myself sound groggy.

  
  


"Hi sweetie." I said. It was weird hearing my father's voice come from my mouth.

  
  


"Hi Dad." Young Cassie said. "You haven't called me that in a long time."

  
  


"Old habits die hard." I said. I yawned for good measure. The Younger me will think her old dad is half-asleep. I guess only Cassie can fool Cassie.

  
  


"You should be in bed. You look tired."

  
  


God, so many things I could tell her. Rachel's dead. Tom's dead. All at Jake's command. So many things.

  
  


No. Minimal interference.

  
  


"Did you remember to give that deer her meds?"

  
  


The Younger Me got a look of genuine "d'oh!". "No I forgot. Don't worry I'll do it. You should get your sleep. Commuting to the Big Apple always takes a lot of you."

  
  


I said what my father would have said. "One hundred miles of disgusting -

  
  


"concrete and asphalt."

  
  


"concrete and asphalt." The Younger Me said at the same time as I did. "I know, Dad."

  
  


I went over and kissed the younger me on the forehead. "Goodnight Sweetie." I then turned around and went back up the stairs. I heard the back door open and close. The Younger me had gone out to give that deer her meds, and if I'm right, she'll catch David just as he was trying to leave.

  
  


In the original history, I didn't remember to give that deer her meds till ten. By then David was long gone. 

  
  


Now things should change.

  
  


And they did quite suddenly. Suddenly, I found myself in the desert. The Time Matrix next to me. All I could see was a vague glow in front of me. I was no longer wearing my father's robe, and I had my shoes on, but I was still in my father's morph. I demorphed immediately, then remorphed to owl. I flew toward the glow which I now realized was an Andalite Shuttle. Two Andalite warriors came out and looked as if they were searching for something.

  
  


Where am I? When am I? Why am I here?

  
  


That's when a gorilla landed on top of them knocking them out. I then saw a Humvee glow and drive closer to the fallen Andalites. A tall gangly man who seemed to have trouble walking got out with an equally tall, very handsome, very broad young man.

  
  


Jake.

  
  


The Gorilla demorphed. Marco.

  
  


An Andalite youth galloped up. Ax. He morphed to red-tailed hawk. Correction. He _demorphed_ to red-tailed hawk. It was actually Tobias.

  
  


A man and woman in their mid-twenties got out. I didn't recognize them. They were followed closely by a Taxxon.

  
  


A Taxxon? I thought they all became snakes! I said to no one in particular. 

  
  


Then another woman got out. Her hair shined gold in the desert moonlight. I almost didn't recognize her.

  
  


The last time I saw her she was a girl of sixteen and never got any older. Now, she was a woman of nineteen, and even more beautiful.

  
  


Rachel.

  
  


Owls can't cry, but I swear I almost did.

  
  


I did it. Rachel survived. But what of David? Jara? James and the others? 

  
  


The shuttle took off. I flew back to the Time Matrix. I demorphed and willed it to take me back to the present. 

  
  


Again, no flash of light. All of the sudden, I was there with Erek. He looked sad.

  
  


"You failed." He said, eyes downcast. "All is the same." He showed me an article printed up on computer paper. Downloaded off the Internet. The headline was the same. Only now it said "Four Animorphs Declared Legally Dead."

  
  


"Maybe it will all turn out for the best." I said.

  
  


Three falcons flew in and landed.

  
  


Cassie! Cassie! said a familiar thought-speech voice as the three falcons demorphed.

  
  


"Geez, guys!" Erek said. "Haven't you ever heard of low-profile?"

  
  


No time. said the same voice hurriedly. They demorphed and I couldn't believe my eyes.

  
  


It was James Malcolm, leader of the Auxiliary Animorphs with Collette Ser and Tuan "Timmy" Choi. They survived too.

  
  


"Cassie, we have to go now." James said very authoritative. Very Jake-like.

  
  


I looked over at Collette and Timmy. Collette's legs were braced with what looked to be some weird type of metal. Timmy had the metal on all his limbs and even a strange band of it on his head.

  
  


Erek walked over to Timmy and pointed at his head. "So this is the miracle organic metal."

  
  


Hojerval'c does good work, no?Timmy said. He was thought-speaking, and he wasn't even in morph!

  
  


And who was Hojerval'c? But then I knew. All at once, I knew the name Hojerval'c Kasaldra, and why James and Collette and Timmy were alive. I knew that Erek had brought me here to stop Jake and the others from leaving to save Ax. And why James said I have to go. I remember what happened that fateful day. How Rachel survived. How the Auxiliary Animorphs survived. And what had happened the five years after that, but I could still remember what originally happened. Rachel's death. James and the others dead. Jake and the others gone.

  
  


I guess that last part didn't change much. 

  
  


"The Time Matrix thing didn't work?" James asked.

  
  


I smiled wistfully. "I think it's better this way."

  
  


"Well, that's what our plan is for." Collette said excitedly. "Right, Timmy?"

  
  


Timmy gave a thought-speech chuckle.

  
  


Don't take your failure close to heart

For our rescue mission will soon depart!

And you, Lady Verenda, must go.

Commander Hunting wills it so!

  
  


*************************************************************************************

  
  


Heh-Heh. Boy, I'm such a tease.

  
  


I hope all your questions are answered, and I hope you now have new questions.

  
  


Well, actually, I only answered the first three questions, so for all of you (and especially Jan Girl) I will answer the other two myself:

  
  


-No

-19

  
  


Till next we meet.

Augustine Quill.


	8. Eyes

**_Still March 17, 19999:17 PM_**

  
  


I got off the hayloft and walked toward the door. 

  
  


I could do what I want now. No parents. No Jake. 

  
  


After all, I was an Animorph.

  
  


"David?" a voice asked.

  
  


Fuck. I turned around. It was Cassie. Cassie with extreme worry and sadness in her eyes looked at me in total disbelief.

  
  


Damnit! She came back. Why? Why couldn't she just leave me alone?!

  
  


I stood defiantly at her, but I did not say a word. If it had been Jake, Marco, or Rachel, I would have told them to go fuck themselves and various other colloquialisms. If it had been the bird or the Andalite I would have told them something similar, but probably with less hatred.

  
  


But this was Cassie. Goddamn her. Goddamn her eyes.

  
  


"What are you doing?" She asked me.

  
  


"Going out." I said with forced anger and defiance.

  
  


"But David, you have to stay here."

  
  


"Oh. I sorry massa Cassie." I replied in a slave/minstrel-accent. "I sorry. Please don't tell massa Jake o' he go'a whip me good."

  
  


Cassie looked as if I slapped her.

  
  


_Good move, David._ I thought to myself bitterly. _Just in case you didn't feel shitty enough about yourself, this should bring you down to absolute scum of the universe._

  
  


"I'm sorry, Cassie. I'm not really a racist. I don't think like that." I said. Cassie turned away from me. "It was shitty of me to say that. I need to you to get away from me and leave me alone."

  
  


"Why?!" She said angrily as she turned to face me again. "So _you_ can leave, break into some hotel. I'm trying to help you, David? Why can't you see that?"

  
  


"I see just fine!" I said equally angrily. "Maybe it's you can't see the whole picture." She looked at me, the anger gone replaced with concern and worry. "Well, let me paint you one. I have no home. My family wants to turn me over to the Yeerks, and I'm living in a fucking barn! _You_ have a family. _You_ have a home. You all have homes. You all sleep in beds at night and watch TV and eat at tables."

  
  


"Not all of us." She said.

  
  


"What, the Andalite? Tobias, the hawk? They aren't human. I am. I'm not some fucking animal that can build a home in a forest or a barn. I'm a human like you and Marco and Rachel and _Jake_." I said Jake's name as if it were a curse word. 

  
  


"You don't like Ax or Tobias because they aren't human? Are you sure you don't think like a racist?"

  
  


"All those guys are different species. Humans are all one species. Not really a good comparison." I said, quoting her from this afternoon.

  
  


Cassie sat down. She looked like she was about to say something. Something defensive, but I interrupted her. "Look, don't think I haven't noticed all you're trying to do for me." I said squatting down, looking into her eyes. Which in retrospect, may have accounted for why I became so calm right then. "You out of all the others have treated me more like person and less like a fucking chess piece, but you still treat me like one of your animals, and I can't live like that."

  
  


I stood up. A power trip, I know, but I wanted my message across. "So from now on, when there's a mission, I'll play the good little soldier. Jake says 'Jump'-I say 'How high?' Jake says 'Sing'-I say 'Name that tune.' But when the mission is over, the only one responsible for me is me. I'll take care of myself, and you don't have to worry about me any more."

  
  


"No, I won't have to." Cassie said seemingly agreeing with me while her head was down. She then looked up at me. "But I will."

  
  


"Will what?" I asked stupidly.

  
  


"Worry. I can't help it, David. I'll worry about you. I care for you."

  
  


Did she just say what I think she said? "Care like how?" _No! No! Stupid Question!_

  
  


But she just shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "You're one of us. Even if you don't feel that way. Even if the others don't feel that way. I feel that way. That's why I care. That's why I would worry."

  
  


"I'm not worth your worry." I spat bitterly and looked down on the ground.

  
  


Cassie let out a sympathizing moan and stood up. She put her hand on my cheek and moved my head so I could not help but look at her eyes. Those eyes. "Don't say that, David. Don't say that you're not worth anything. You are part of the planet's salvation. You are worth a lot."

  
  


"I don't give a damn about the planet. I only care about people. People who care about me. My family. My g-, my friends." _Why do I keep doing that?_ I thought as I looked into Cassie's eyes. And well, I'm ashamed to admit it, all thoughts of Stephanie were buried, forgotten. 

  
  


"You care for the people who care about you?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Yeah. I guess that means you too."

  
  


Cassie kinda smiled, but it was a troubled smile like something was bothering her from far off. "Come with me." She said as she grabbed my hand.

  
  


"We are we going?" I asked as she led me in back of the barn where the stables are. There, sleeping, was a gray mare.

  
  


"This is Tierra. She's my horse. Also the first animal I ever morphed." She said. Then, she looked at me. "Acquire her."

  
  


I did. I put my hand on her sleeping neck and absorbed her DNA into me. When I was done, Cassie took my hand again and told me to follow her. As if I had a choice.

  
  


We went outside. Cassie looked at me. She took off her pajamas to reveal a leotard. Her morphing suit. Despite what I wished she was doing, I knew she was prompting me to morph. I was already only wearing a T-shirt and sweat-pants, so I didn't have shed any clothing. 

  
  


My hair went gray. My arm hair went gray as did my locks. My nose jutted forward. Middle fingers elongated as the rest of my fingers and most of each hand withered away. My legs elongated and hooves grew out of the toes that remained. My back grew stronger. I grew a tail which was actually shorter than it appeared. The rest was just hair. A minute later I was a horse.

  
  


As instincts go, this horse seemed to be just nervous about everything. The snakes that were in the forest. The animals she smelled in the barn, but they were easy to get a hold of. I turned my big horse head and saw that Cassie had also morphed an identical horse. Duh. She said it was her first morph.

  
  


Cool. Jittery, but cool. I said.

  
  


I'll race you. she said to me.

  
  


I'll beat you. I replied.

  
  


We're identical horses. We go the same speed.

  
  


I guess we'll just have to rely on talent and _skeells_. Sorry, you're at such a disadvantage. I said teasingly.

  
  


Disadavantage?! Ha! I've been in horse morph more than you. We'll see who has the talent and _skeells._

  
  


Fine, fine. Well go at the count of three. Three! I yell as I take off leaving Cassie in the dust. 

  
  


Hey! Cheater! She yelled as she zooms to catch up to me.

  
  


She did catch up to me. She won the first race. And the second. I won the third.

  
  


And then I lost count. We ran and ran and raced and then ran some more. We ran for what felt like one of those eternities in a second, but was actually only two hours. We had to demorph. Didn't want to become trapped as horses. 

  
  


We came back into the barn as humans, still laughing, trying to recap all the races and the final score.

  
  


"You know, Ax has been complaining lately about not having a kind of home. He's thinking about building a scoop for himself." Cassie told me.

  
  


"Scoop?" I asked.

  
  


"Yeah, that's how Andalites live. They scoop a huge chunk of dirt. Put a roof over part of it, and live that way with all their computers and such."

  
  


"And you think I should help him and then live with him. Me and the Andalite, roomies?"

  
  


"Maybe." She said adding a cute little shrug. "Until then will you consider my hayloft as an alternative to breaking and entering?" 

  
  


I nodded, and she gave me a happy little smile.

  
  


I love it when she does that.

  
  


Ug!" Cassie said with humourous exhaustion. "It's after 11:00. I'm going to say good night now, okay David."

  
  


"All right. Good night, Cassie" I said. She opened the door to go inside her house. "Cassie?" I said quite suddenly without thinking.

  
  


"Yes?" She said turning around, oblivious to the internal battle in my head.

  
  


_Just tell her. It's three little words. It wasn't this hard with Stephanie._

  
  


_Stephanie._

  
  


__"Um . . . I don't really like Ruffles."

  
  


She kind of giggled. "Okay. I'll remember that. Good night David."

  
  


"Good night Cassie." I said. Then she left.

  
  


Stephanie. Jesus, how can I be such an idiot! I felt a pang of guilt. 

  
  


I still loved Stephanie.

  
  


But I also loved Cassie.

  
  



	9. Fitting In

**_March 18, 19998:40 AM _**

  
  


It was Thursday. 

  
  


Cassie and Jake assembled all of us in the forest near Tobias' meadow. We couldn't hang out at the barn because Mr. Verenda would be working all day there.

  
  


Cassie and I were walking toward Tobias' meadow when Jake, Rachel, and Marco flew in toward us.

  
  


Cassie! David! Jake called from above in falcon morph. Let's pick it up. We have a mission to accomplish.

  
  


Yeah. Mission Impossible. Marco muttered. 

  
  


"I have an idea for getting past the security at the resort." Cassie yelled out to them. "But it would probably creep you out."

  
  


Uh-oh. Marco said.

  
  


"Oh ye of little faith." I yelled.

  
  


The two humans and three birds met up with a fourth bird and an Andalite. Three of the birds became humans. So here we were, five humans, one hawk, and one Andalite, all of whom were children, discussing how to infiltrate a hotel being watched by security from the United States, England, France, Japan, and Russia, and not to mention some parasitic slugs called Yeerks.

  
  


I felt like throwing up.

  
  


"Okay, Cassie. What's your idea?" Rachel asked.

  
  


"Yeah, what's the problem?" I asked trying to sound all gung-ho with limited success.

  
  


"See, the problem is, anything bigger than a bug is going to be noticed by the Controllers who are in the security teams, but all the insect morphs we have are wrong for this job." Cassie started. "Too much distance to cover for a cockroach. Same thing with a fly or an ant." I noticed a couple of the animorphs shuddered at the mention of the ant. Why? What's so bad about an ant? "Too much distance with senses that are not much good at dealing with faraway objects."

  
  


"Uh-huh." Marco nodded. "And so what have you come up with, I hesitate to ask?"

  
  


Cassie then pulled out a jar from her backpack and held it up. It contained a long green insect with four large wings and humongous eyes. Well, by bug standards they were humongous. 

  
  


"What is that, a dragonfly?" I asked.

  
  


"Yeah. Dragonfly." Cassie nodded and smiled. I love it when she does that. "Look closely and you'll notice the eyes. They are huge, relative to the size of the body. They completely cover the dragonfly's head."

  
  


It began to dawn on me. "No way." I said.

  
  


"The housefly morphs we have feed on garbage, carrion, so on. So their sense of sight doesn't have to be great. But dragonflies eat other flying insects. They snag mosquitos right out of the air. And since we know they don't have echolocation like bats have, they must be using the sense of sight to hunt."

  
  


"Wait a minute." I said, pleadingly. "When we became cockroaches we almost got stomped!"

  
  


"Seven dragonflies all flying in there together?" Marco asked cynically. "What happens if the Controllers realize there's this sudden plague of dragonflies?"

  
  


Cassie winced. "Well, I thought of that. So see, only one person would morph the dragonfly. That person would get inside, find a place for the rest of us to demorph, and then morph something else to go spying around."

  
  


I'm not understanding this. said the Andalite. How will the rest of us get inside with this single dragonfly?

  
  


"Well . . ." Cassie said. "That's the part that is either beautiful or gross, depending on your point of view." I had a feeling it was going to be a little of both.

  
  


"Oh, I _so_ don't want to hear this." Marco moaned.

  
  


"See, the dragonfly is so big, and such a powerful flyer, he can carry passengers."

  
  


Passengers? What kind of passengers???

  
  


What kind of passengers, Cassie? Tobias asked echoing my own thoughts.

  
  


"Well . . . I think you could get six fleas lined up on -- "

  
  


Fleas?! "Okay, okay, _that's _not happening!" I said firmly.

  
  


"One of morphs a dragonfly, the rest of us morph fleas and climb on board like we're flying Delta?" Rachel demanded. "How would we even hold on? It'll be like being on a jet. On the _outside_ of a jet!"

  
  


Cassie grinned. "Oh, the holding on part is easy. Fleas are excellent grippers. Besides, for extra safety, you just have to bite the dragonfly and not let go."

  
  


We all just kind of stared at Cassie. This sweet person thought of something that was not really beautiful and wholly disgusting. But also very brilliant.

  
  


"You're a very disturbing person sometimes, Cassie." Marco said.

  
  


Rachel gave a resigning sigh. "Who's the lucky dragonfly who gets to have six fleas attached to him or her?"

  
  


"We can draw straws." Jake said.

  
  


"Wait a minute, we're _doing_ this?" I protested. "Are you nuts?"

  
  


Marco stuck a thumb at me and said. "For once, I'm with him." Which should have clued me in to how wrong I was, but I was too busy being annoyed at Marco.

  
  


Jake picked up some pine needles off the ground. He counted seven and broke one short. "Short needle morphs the dragonfly."

  
  


Rachel drew a straw. A long straw. She actually looked disappointed. Aximili drew next. Long. Marco drew. Long. I drew. Long. Cassie drew. Long. Tobias drew. Long. There was one straw left in Jake's hand. The short one. He would morph the dragonfly.

  
  


Cassie opened the jar and Jake stuck his hand in and acquired the dragonfly. Then Cassie said something that scared the shit out of me.

  
  


"Okay, who doesn't have a flea morph?"

  
  


Rachel, Marco, and Tobias didn't have flea morphs. Neither did I. After they acquired the flea, Marco handed it to me. A speck half the size of a period on a piece of paper landed somewhere on my hand. I kept my eye on that tiny thing. That super-small animal that had nestled itself into a tiny crack in my skin. I didn't want to think about what it was doing now. I acquired it. Then I scratched my hand raw.

  
  


One problem. How does Jake get us to the resort? We have to be far away enough to morph without being seen. Tobias pointed out.

  
  


Cassie's face scrunched together in an expression of "d'oh!". "I guess I didn't think about that."

  
  


"How about the bird flies there and carries us and then releases us and help guides us."

  
  


"The bird has a name, it's Tobias!" Rachel said angrily.

  
  


"It's a good plan, David." Jake said. "All right. That's what we'll do. Now, let's morph."

  
  


"It's morphin' time!" I said with power ranger intensity.

  
  


Two unreadable hawk eyes, four confused Andalite eyes, and eight fish-eyed human eyes looked at me.

  
  


"Sorry. I had to get it out of my system."

  
  


"Okay, I morph the dragonfly. Everyone else except Tobias morphs flea and attach yourselves to me."

  
  


Morph a flea. Yeah fucking right. "This can't even be possible." I complained. "I mean, a flea? Look how big we are! The flea is like . . . like a grain of sand."

  
  


It is possible. the Andalite said. The extra mass is extruded into Zero-space. Our minds and brains are pushed into Zero-space and maintain contact with the morph by means of a-

  
  


"What, the fuck, is he talking about?" I asked.

  
  


"We don't have any idea." Rachel added helpfully. "But he's right: It works. So just relax with it."

  
  


"I'm going to become a flea and I should just relax. A fucking flea!"

  
  


"I'm ready." Jake said prompting the rest of us to shut up.

  
  


Jake closed his eyes and started to morph. Then boom! His eyes were not only open but ten times their normal size, compounded and very iridescent.

  
  


"Oh. Oh, no." Cassie said in disgust. "Oh, oh, guh."

  
  


"Man, I didn't need to see that." Rachel agreed.

  
  


"Okay, now _that_ is gross." Marco added. "This is seriously gross."

  
  


"Ahhhhh!" Jake said. I guess even fearless leader had his limits. On the other hand, this was nothing compared to horror and terror of war. This was just creepy. And creepy is soothing after war. The others were probably all used to creepiness by now.

  
  


But I wasn't. "That does it, I'm outta here!" I yelped. But I didn't move. I didn't dare move. I would not freak.

  
  


Jake started to shrink. "I can't see except a blur!"

  
  


"You still have a human brain." Cassie said. "You need the dragonfly's visual cortex to interpret the dragonfly's eyes." She said pointing to her forehead.

  
  


I didn't bother explaining that the visual cortex in most animals is in the back of the head, not the front.

  
  


Jake was almost bug-sized when his human legs grew spikes and started reforming. A second set of legs hatched from his chest. His shoulders grew larger and turned green. His ass stretched out into the dragonfly thorax. Four wings grew from his back. Then he just kept shrinking. 

  
  


All of the sudden he just took off and kind of hovered in the air.

  
  


"Jake?" Cassie asked with worry in her voice. Lucky punk.

  
  


Jake, get grip! Tobias yelled.

  
  


Yikes! Jake finally said.

  
  


What is the matter? the Andalite asked.

  
  


I swallowed a bug. 

  
  


"Okay. Flea time." Rachel said. "Ax, Cassie, anything you want to warn us about?"

  
  


"Not particularly. It can't see, barely hear. Mainly it just senses warmth. And blood."

  
  


"Uggh." I shared.

  
  


The flea morph was simple and I had very few problems morphing one. Of course, I was on the blade ship at the time. So, my mind was also a bit occupied. The Andalite shared.

  
  


Rachel and Cassie started their morphs. While Cassie's skin started going gray, Rachel's teeth suddenly grew very long. The long hyper dermic teeth of a flea. 

  
  


"Oooo I aaaaaa!" Rachel said. When you have teeth as long as your forearms, you only speak in vowels.

  
  


Marco and the Andalite started their morphs. I started mine. First thing to change were my eyes. They went black all of the sudden. Part of me freaked. Part of me was glad that I didn't have to watch the others and myself morph. I felt myself shrink. My arms and legs segment. I felt my body grow armor. All the while, I was getting smaller, really fast. I felt antennas grow. Then my teeth grew. 

  
  


Cassie was right. The flea didn't have much in the way of instincts. It was just kind of there. __

  
  


_No blood. No blood. Jump to blood._

  
  


Which was precisely what we had to do. We had to jump on Jake's back and then we would take off toward certain doom and a long, painful death.

  
  


The landing on Jake's back took almost an hour. Which meant we had about an hour to get to the resort fly in and find a place safe for us to demorph. Or we will be trapped as fleas. So I understood why Jake had to haul thorax. Even if others didn't.

  
  


Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Would you slow down? Marco yelled.

  
  


I'm not going that fast. Jake countered. Besides, how can you tell how fast I'm going? You're a flea. You can't see squat. 

  
  


I can feel the wind off your wings! It's like a hurricane. If we fall off we'll have to demorph right in the middle of the beach.

  
  


Hey, I want to get there, all right? You think I like having five fleas with their bloodsucking mouthparts stuck into me?

  
  


_You're_ complaining? We're the ones sitting here while you go zipping around playing _Top Gun_.

  
  


Aww, shut up, Marco. Rachel said good-naturedly. It's kind of fun. The whistling through the chinks in my body armor, rustling the spikes on my legs . . .

  
  


You people are all crazy. I said.

  
  


At one level, it's kind of fascinating, you know? Cassie said. I mean, did anyone ever read the Miss Spider books? _Miss Spider's Tea Party_,_ Miss Spider's New Car_? This could be _Miss Spider Goes Flying_.

  
  


You people are _all_ crazy. I repeated.

  
  


Dragonfly Airlines. Rachel said.

  
  


Keep your legs and mouthparts inside the bug at all times. Buh-bye!

  
  


We cannot go any slower. The Andalite pointed out. It took a long time for all of us to get aboard this insect. Added to the time it took for Tobias to fly us here, we have no more than twenty minutes left in morph.

  
  
  
  


"Buh-bye!"? What the hell was that? Marco asked me.

  
  


What? No one watches "Saturday Night Live"? Uncultured swine. I countered.

  
  


Please. Don't tell me your into that dinosaur-John-Travolta-disco crap.

  
  


I wasn't quite sure what he meant. John Travolta was never a regular on SNL. And as for the disco, well SNL premiered in 1975. Wait a minute . . . . .

  
  


That's _Saturday Night **Fever**_****, dumbass!

  
  


How are we doing, Tobias? Jake asked.

  
  


You are wandering a little to your left. Tobias said. 

  
  


Straighten up. Yeah. That's good. You're on target and closing in fast.

  
  


It's like watching tapes from Desert Storm. Rachel said. You know, like Tobias is the jet pilot, and we're the "smart" weapon going for the target.

  
  


You put your wars on television for people to watch? the Andalite said, sounding shocked. Humans!

  
  


Actually Desert Storm wasn't a war, it was just a _conflict_. I explained. I figured I should just play my part as one of the Animorphs. Since I didn't know what my part was, I just did what the others did which was put my two cents into everything. And besides, you should see some of the other stuff we put on TV. Sex. Violence.

  
  


Sex?

  
  


Go ahead, David. Explain it to him. Rachel teased.

  
  


But I knew just how to. In a way it would understand. Human coitus, Andalite.

  
  


It was pretty quiet after that. I'm not sure if it thought the idea was good or bad, but it chose not to elaborate. My fellow humans, on the other hand, chose to put in _their_ two cents.

  
  


David! Cassie said, semi-shocked.

  
  


Hey, you should be proud. Marco said. David was able to explain sex without using the word "fuck".

  
  


Wall coming up. Tobias reported.

  
  


I see the trees. Jake reported back.

  
  


I don't see a thing. Marco said. But I'm bloated on dragonfly juice.

  
  


That's disgusting. I shared.

  
  


So says Mr. Human-coitus

  
  


Hey, sex is a beautiful thing. I said faux-romantically. Nothing romantic about sipping dragonfly blood.

  
  


Okay, I'm going higher. I want to get out of range of that bald guy with the killer eyes. Tobias said.

  
  


Tobias, Jake summoned again. Can you see any open windows?

  
  


That's what I've been looking for and no, I can't.

  
  


We can drop down and go in through the front door. Rachel suggested.

  
  


The lobby will be full of people. Jake replied. We're small, but we're not invisible.

  
  


I have a crazy idea. Tobias said. The bellmen and all? They have these kind of tall hats as part of their uniforms. And they keep tipping their hats to the guests before they pick up their bags.

  
  


That's very polite of them. Who cares? Marco asked.

  
  


Well, they raise their hats off their heads . . . 

  
  


Don't even! Marco protested.

  
  


You want us to zip in under some guy's hat? I asked. It would take split-second timing. And then he'd have to not notice this two-inch-long bug on his head.

  
  


Dragonflies can hover. Cassie pointed out.

  
  


Let's do it!Rachel asked.

  
  


What is a hat? the Andalite asked.

  
  


Okay, let's give this a try. Jake said.

  
  


Again, I have to ask: What is a hat?

  
  


A hat is something people wear on their heads. Rachel explained. A type of clothing.

  
  


Ah, yes, clothing. the Andalite said as if it didn't approve. Head clothing. Of course. Is there any part of a human that cannot be clothed?

  
  


Yeah, the face, which is too bad when you consider Marco's face. Rachel said.

  
  


Hey, you know I'm the cutest flea you've ever seen. Marco shot back. No one has prettier mouthparts than me.

  
  


Jake kicked into turbo suddenly without warning.

  
  


Whoa! Cassie cried.

  
  


Then we felt shadows. We also smelled heat. And heat meant blood. The guy's head. Obviously, Jake had succeeded in his suicidal mission. 

  
  


I really had to squash the urge to jump on the guy's head. The others were experiencing similar problems.

  
  


I'm fighting this overpowering urge to jump. Cassie said. The flea is smelling the guy's head!

  
  


Me, too, but we have to maintain. Rachel said. No jumping, no biting!

  
  


After a while, Jake finally reported that we were inside.

  
  


Now what do we do, Prince Jake? the Andalite asked.

  
  


Wish I knew. We need to get a look around this hotel. Jake answered back.

  
  


Our time is running out.

  
  


We can't demorph with this guy in the room. Cassie said.

  
  


We have to find an empty room fast. Jake said. I think I know the way. Jake kicked into turbo again and my flea senses noticed we were in a much colder place. Jake on the other hand was playing cowboy. Yee-hah!

  
  


What yee-hah? What are you yee-hahing about? Marco asked.

  
  


It is chilly. Cassie remarked.

  
  


We must demorph very soon. the Andalite said in fair warning. Prince Jake, there are only five of your minutes left.

  
  


What the . . . . ? Jake said suddenly.

  
  


What is it? I asked. Can we demorph?

  
  


No. We definitely cannot demorph here. We have to get out of here.

  
  


I am not getting trapped in flea morph. Rachel said.

  
  


We have three minutes. the Andalite warned.

  
  


Aaaaaahhhh! Jake yelped.

  
  


What's happening?! Rachel yelled.

  
  


It's a spiderweb. Jake said. We're caught in a web.

  
  


Two minutes, Prince Jake. the Andalite said.

  
  


Fuck this! I'm demorphing! I yelled.

  
  


No! Jake commanded. You'll be crushed inside this duct.

  
  


We were in a duct? The ventilation system. Which explains why it was chilly. Suddenly the skin below me started to stretch. Jake was demorphing! And when he told me not too! Bastard.

  
  


What are you doing? Rachel yelled.

  
  


Aaaaaaahhhhh! Cassie screamed suddenly.

  
  


Cassie's hurt! I yelled.

  
  


After a while the skin below me started to shrink again. Jake was reversing the morph. 

  
  


One minute, Prince Jake. the Andalite said with an unmistakable tone of dolor in his voice.

  
  


I felt like demorphing. I had to. I was going to get stuck. Become a what was it called . . . nothlit.

  
  


But I didn't. Even though I didn't trust Jake, Cassie did, so I had some faith in him. When Jake said "sing", then and only then can I say "name that tune." I can only hope he got Cassie, and wouldn't get us killed. I would remain fully-flea until Jake gave the command.

  
  


Finally the command came.

  
  


DEMORPH! Now! Now! Now!

  
  


Four fleas catapulted off of Jake's back. We demorphed as we fell.

  
  


Cassie! Demorph! Jake yelled. I guess he got her.

  
  


First thing that changed was my size. I started to grow larger. I felt myself land. I still grew larger. And larger. And larger. Oh shit.

  
  


I can't get out of morph! I yelled.

  
  


Me either! Help me! Marco yelled.

  
  


No, no, no! Marco, David, keep trying! Keep trying! Jake yelled.

  
  


But still I grew and grew only. No change. My eyes were flea eyes. My legs were flea legs. I had to be by now a fifty-pound flea.

  
  


Marco! Jake yelled. David!

  
  


Oh, please, help us! Help us! Marco yelled.

  
  


Cassie, help me! I yelled.

  
  


Marco! David! Jake cried again. MARCO!

  
  


I felt a hand on me. My instincts told me to jump, but I could not. I had grown too large. Strange, even though I couldn't have possibly known, I knew. I knew the hand at my side was Cassie's. 

  
  


"Marco. David. Clear your mind of the fear." Cassie said calmly. Despite my growing hysteria, I noticed I could hear her just fine. Fleas, even fleas the size of basset hounds, hear the same way a cockroach hears. Through vibrations through the floor. "You can do this. You will morph. Focus on the picture of yourself. Form the picture in your mind. Let go of the fear and focus on the picture of your own body."

  
  


I held on Cassie's words. _If meditation can work for karate and cancer, it can work for this. _I focused on that and on Cassie's words as my mind went into the meditative trance I used to do when I studied karate.

  
  


And I changed.

  
  


My mouthparts retreated. My legs changed to human arms and legs. My armor softened into human flesh. My eyes, which had no eyelids, morphed into closed human eyes. When next I opened them, I was sitting cross-legged with my arms stretched and back erected. My exact meditation pose. Weird. I looked at Marco. The final traces of flea were just then disappearing. Then Marco and I did the same thing at the same time. We hugged Cassie and cried. 

  
  


I'm sure it looked ridiculous to anyone else: two boys each crying on one of the shoulders of a girl who was their size or smaller, but Marco and me, we didn't give a shit. We got off of Cassie and looked at each other. His expression of relief and lingering horror most likely mirrored my own. Maybe we didn't like each other. Maybe we even hated each other. But it's hard to hate someone who just survived the same horrible ordeal you did right by your side. All by the grace of the same magic woman. In that moment, Marco and I were comrades. Brothers. And it would be different between us from now on. 

  
  


I snapped out of my trance and looked around. We were standing in a ballroom. Rows of rectangular tables in white tablecloths. Crystal chandeliers on the ceiling. Red carpet with floral fractal patterns. In each corner of the room stood a massive ornamental marble pillar about four yards in diameter. Except in the corner which we were standing in. Instead of a pillar stood a table with some device and a covered stainless steel tub the size of a hot tub.

  
  


I looked at our comrades. Jake and Rachel had strange twisted smiles. Post-horror happiness. The Andalite had strange expression with its face. Or more accurately, its eyes.

  
  


It was almost like it was smiling.

  
  


I always said Cassie had a talent for morphing. And yet . . . this is something I have not seen before. the Andalite said.

  
  


"What I want to know is how David morphed out looking like some meditating Buddhist monk." Rachel said.

  
  


Perhaps David too has more talent in morphing than he is sharing.

  
  


"Anyone bothered to notice where we are?" Marco asked, wiping the tears from his eyes.

  
  


"Yeah." Jake said snapping out of his trance. "I noticed before when we flew past earlier. That's why I didn't come here. Until we had no other choice. Ax! Stay alert, keep your tail ready. Rachel? We may need some firepower."

  
  


"What the fuck? What is all this stuff?" I asked as I wiped the tears from my eyes. "And look at this room! It's like, fucking huge!"

  
  


This, unless I am mistaken, is a small-scale, portable Yeerk pool.

  
  


Yeerk Pool. Tobias and the Andalite told me about this. Yeerks have to be in their natural state every three days to feed on Kandrona rays. 

  
  


"No way!" Rachel said as she started growing brown fur in places where a blond girl would not have brown fur. "Someone would have noticed, duh. There are security guys everywhere." That's when her mouth jutted forth and became a snout. 

  
  


"Rachel's right." Jake concurred. "There's no way to hide all this here. Unless . . . " He looked to the Andalite.

  
  


It nodded. A very human expression. Yes, Prince Jake. I believe we are standing inside a hologram.

  
  


"Inside a hologram." I repeated. Made sense. Of course, a week ago, holograms were something I read about in Marvel Comics. Mysterio and the X-Man Danger room. Now, they were the weapons of a very real alien invader.

  
  


"See the pillars in each corner? There should be a pillar her, right where we're standing. There isn't. Instead there's this Yeerk pool. And . . . and that thing."

  
  


On the table where Marco and I demorphed stood a device. It looked like a some kind of weird gun. 

  
  


Interesting. said the Andalite. It's a holographic emitter. But it's only a relay. Not the basic emitter. Not what is causing this hologram we're in.

  
  


Jake rubbed his head. Trying to make sense of it. Meanwhile, Rachel was starting to hog up all the room. "Rachel? Sorry, I changed my mind. Demorph." Jake commanded.

  
  


Are you sure? There could still be a fight. she said. Sounding disappointed at the thought that there won't be a fight. Sick fuck.

  
  


Let's see. When the X-men needed their holograms to have more substance to them, they used force fields to back them up. Almost like true matter. Wouldn't the Yeerks do the same?

  
  


"What happens if someone happens to lean on this column or pillar or whatever the hell it is?" I wondered aloud. "They'd have to be using a force field, too, not just a hologram."

  
  


Yes. The Andalite agreed. Here is what I believe is happening. The Yeerks precisely targeted a dracon beam from a cloaked ship overhead. They burned down through the roof and through the column, precisely wiping it out. Then they aimed a holographic emitter of enormous power down through the hole to replace the pillar they vaporized. A hologram strengthened by a force field. The force field directs its force outward, of course. We can step out of this hologram at any time. But we would not be able to step back in.

  
  


"So why doesn't the roof fall down?" Marco asked. 

  
  


"Maybe the pillars are just for decoration." I said. "They probably don't really support the roof. They're just here to look cool."

  
  


"So what's the point?" Jake asked. "The force field is in place. How do the controllers get in here?"

  
  


My guess is that this arch, Aximili said as it pointed to a thick wire in the shape of an arch above part of the hologram, blocks the force field. There must be some kind of control device in here. They would simply blank the force field whenever they needed to enter the column.

  
  


The andalite fooled around with the controls. Jake stepped out into the banquet room. He put his hand toward us and hit something. His hand looked like it was on the other side of a glass window. He was touching force field. He moved his hand around the force field till he was able to stick back into the little room we were in.

  
  


"It's open." He said as he joined with us. "Very weird. The force field may be off, but the hologram is till totally real. You'd swear you're walking through solid marble." Jake stepped through again. Then he dove under a table. 

  
  


"What the hell's he doing?" I asked. I soon found out why.

  
  


Three people came into the room. Two men (one twenty-something, one mid-forties) and one woman. I could hear voices, but not distinguish them. Could not make out what they were saying. 

  
  


The hawk could though. The younger guy is someone named Tony. He's arguing with the other two about how POTUS and the HOS's should approach the stage.

  
  


I didn't know if he was reading lips or actually hearing them. Neither would have surprised me. 

  
  


"What's POTUS and HOS's." Cassie asked.

  
  


"POTUS is the President Of The United States." Marco said, proud of his obscure knowledge. "But I don't know what HOS is."

  
  


"Heads Of State." I said without any pride or humility in my voice.

  
  


Tony wants them to go around this pillar before approaching the stage. Tobias reported.

  
  


A yeerk! the Andalite said, angrily. Well duh. Just some stupid foot soldier probably. Nah, most likely a Yeerk Intelligence Agent, assuming they had those. Still, the slug was just doing its job. Of course, so was I. So were all of us.

  
  


The three arguing people sat down at a table. The table Jake was under.

  
  


"Uh-oh!" Marco yelled.

  
  


"Oh no!" Cassie said, covering her mouth in fear. I don't think I could have turned more green if I acquired and morphed a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

  
  


"Are you sure you don't need me to morph?" Rachel said gritting her teeth, then licking her chops in anticipation of new blood.

  
  


"Just hold tight, Wackie the Pooh." I muttered.

  
  


This is interesting. Tobias said. Tony is the White House Chief of Protocol.

  
  


"Which means what he says goes." 

  
  


After a while the three people left and Jake rejoined us.

  
  


Prince Jake, the andalite addressed, I believe we may have a way out of here. The hologram and the force field seem to be weaker higher up the column.

  
  


"That would make sense." Jake replied. "They need it reinforced down low in the strong light, down where people might touch it. That's how I was able to see through the illusion when I passed by in dragonfly morph."

  
  


"No, you're wrong." I popped in. "I think you saw through the illusion because it was meant to fool humans, not bugs who can see ultraviolet light."

  
  


Rachel and Marco gave me strange looks. Like I stepped over some line. "What?!" I yelled defensively.

  
  


Anyhow. the andalite said, breaking the tension. I think we could escape by going straight up. Straight through the roof.

  
  


"Fine. Let's get out of here." Jake said.

  
  


The Yeerks are probably already in place. Do we . . . . do we leave them?

  
  


I knew what he was suggesting. It was then I realized something. Sure, I said in war you get your hands dirty, but I didn't realize how. I had not yet killed anyone. The others probably had. These slugs would not be the first Yeerk deaths at their hands. And definitely not the last.

  
  


So here it was. Now I will find out what kind of a leader Jake is. Is he an only-do-the-necessary-to-win Patton-type? Or a genocidal-the-only-good-yeerk-is-a-dead-yeerk Hitler-type?

  
  


Jake shook his head. "Let's fly."

  
  


Good. Jake was a good guy, and he hadn't turned into the bad guy.

  
  


Yet.

  
  


Tobias! Are you able to hear us? the Andalite called. No answer. The hawk was too far away.

  
  


"If we fly up, it will look like we popped out of the roof. The roof is probably being watched by a dozen security guys. Yeerk and non." Marco said.

  
  


"Not to mention the bald guy with the killer shades." I brought up.

  
  


"We need a distraction." Jake said.

  
  


"The fire alarm." I suggested. "I did it once at my old school to . . . um . . . get out of a taking a test."

  
  


Actually the reason I did it was to cut school with Stephanie so we could make a concert in Atlanta. This is the third time I have avoided talking about Stephanie. And the first time I just outright lied to do so.

  
  


"Okay." Jake said. "Good idea."

  
  


"I'll do it."

  
  


"Everyone start to morph to seagull. David? You have to throw it and come running straight back."

  
  


"No shit."

  
  


"Okay. Ready? Go!"

  
  


Jake and the others started to morph. I ran for the switch. I pulled it and ran back.

  
  


BRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG! WHAM!

  
  


The first sound was the alarm. The second was me tripping over a chair leg and hitting the floor.

  
  


And that's when the guards came into the ballroom. I did as Jake did and ducked underneath the table.

  
  


They were controllers. Yeerks. I was sure. The ordinary guards would be disoriented trying to find the source of the alarm. The Yeerks wouldn't give a shit. They'd just go straight to their miniature pool and secure their people.

  
  


Battle mode time.

  
  


I felt the mane grow on my neck. Jake came and joined me then. He looked terrified. Good. He mouthed the word "no" silently. I just grinned, which gave him a good look at my new feline teeth that just grew in.

  
  


"Bar the door!" a controller said. "Push a couple of tables up against it. I'll use the secure link to contact our people. We can't have any of the other security forces barging in here."

  
  


"Okay, if we have Andalite penetration, they could be anything." A second controller said. "Even flies. It's probably just a false alarm. Nothing to do with us. We'll know as soon as we check the pool. If it was Andalites . . . Well, our friends in the pool will not be alive."

  
  


Okay. Jake had commanded the yeerks in the pool to be left alone. So maybe the controllers will leave. Still, I have to be ready just in case.

  
  


Jake was crawling toward me. Shaking his head and mouthing the word "no". Why? Did he think I would outright attack? Does he think I'm an idiot? Jake better morph too. If the yeerks look under the table, they'll see me and assume I'm an Andalite in morph. They see Jake, and, well, it will be a chess game to the others with only one possible outcome.

  
  


I kept morphing. Jake was being tactically stupid. 

  
  


"Turn off the hologram." The first controller said. 

  
  


"They're okay!" Said a new controller.

  
  


"Okay." Said the first one. "One way we have Andalite penetration then. They'd never leave our people alive. Clear the doors. I'll notify the others. Hologram on."

  
  


I was now a completely lion. And the instincts kicked in.

  
  


Creatures! All around! Food? Challenge? 

  
  


Small creature! Grabbing me by my mane. A Challenge?!

  
  


"David." The small creature said silently. "Don't. Do. Anything."

  
  


It was odd. I didn't notice it at the time, but the transition from lion mind to human mind was nearly seamless, which never happened to me before.

  
  


Immediately, I knew that the small creature was Jake. He was my leader. We were fighting the Yeerks, the enemy that was in that very room.

  
  


But I couldn't shake the instinct/feeling that Jake was challenging me.

  
  


Well, maybe I could and didn't want to.

  
  


I drew my muzzle back slowly and reveled my powerful teeth.

  
  


"Okay, let's go." the first controller said. "Nothing here."

  
  


The enemy was gone. Only me and the small creature. Jake.

  
  


He was still holding on to my mane. I could crush him. I could kill him. I could say the Yeerks almost got him and had me kill him rather than be taken. No witnesses. 

  
  


Had you worried, huh? I said finally to him.

  
  


"No, I knew you were cool."

  
  


Just being prepared. You know, in case there was any trouble. I was surprised you didn't go into your tiger morph.

  
  


"Yeah. Well, I didn't see the need."

  
  


Fool. I could win against him. I could be a better leader. I would lead the pride. Take his lioness. Hey. You ever wonder who'd win in a fight between a lion and tiger? Jake didn't answer. He was scared. Good. Lion. That's what I think. But it would probably never happen. It's just interesting to think about. I think that's when my human mind finally separated itself with the lion mind. _What the hell was I saying?_ I better demorph.

  
  


When it was safe, with me human, Jake explained his escape route. "I think the best way out of here now is te same way we came in. Just one difference. We don't have time to waste having you leaping around in flea morph trying to land on me."

  
  


"So what are we going to do?"

  
  


"David, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but bite me."

  
  


"Excuse me?"

  
  


"Bite me on the back. We'll morph together. Hopefully when your flea mouthparts replace your human teeth, you'll remain latched on."

  
  


"Okay."

  
  


His plan worked. We eventually got outside where Tobias snagged us and took us back to Cassie's barn. But throughout all that time, I was left alone with my thoughts. Why had I acted as such? Who was in control: David the Lion or David the Human? Why was I so intent in fighting Jake? For what? His "pride"? His "lioness"? The pride was the Animorphs. The lioness was Cassie.

  
  


I loved Cassie now. Is this something I would have to worry about? Whether some male morph of mine will try to kill Jake? For control? For Cassie?

  
  


Am I a megalomaniac?

  
  


Or just a jealous suitor?

  
  


_You already have a lioness-Stephanie!_ But for some reason. That stopped being such a powerful argument.

  
  


I don't think fleas have this ability, but still . . . I felt like throwing up.

  
  



	10. Rage

March 18, 1999 **__**

March 18, 19992:53 PM

"Tony, the White House protocol guy, is the man with the slash shoe." Jake revealed. "That was the whole purpose behind grabbing the helicopter. It wasn't the President they were after right then."

"They want a grand slam." I said. "They want all these guys at once. So they snagged the _second_ helicopter, the one that always accompanies Marine One to throw off possible terrorists."

"Exactly. They needed the chief of protocol, the guy who would decide how the banquet was laid out. So Visser Three acquired him. Replaced him."

We, the Lucky Seven, were gathered back at the Fortress of Attitude aka Cassie's barn. I was double weirded out by both the flea thing and the lion thing, but I had to press on. I haven't even been in a real battle yet.

"What about the real guy? The actual chief of protocol?" Cassie asked.

"Probably still alive." Marco answered. "Visser Three has him drugged, takes his clothes and shoes, goes out and does his stuff. Then later the real Tony wakes up and doesn't realize anything even happened."

Why not make Tony a controller? Tobias asked.

Jake couldn't supply an answer, but the Andalite spoke up.

The buildings where these heads of state work and live are carefully guarded? And all the employees carefully watched? 

"You know it." Jake said.

Then there may be a simple reason: Kandrona rays. If the President and the others are made into controllers, they won't be able to get away from the President's security people long enough to secretly visit a Yeerk Pool every three days for their need Kandrona rays. So we have to assume the plan will be for the President to have a Yeerk Pool and Kandrona placed within the White House itself.

"How would they keep something like that a secret?" asked Rachel

"Only the President could order something like that done in the White House." I said. "And even then, only if most or all of his Secret Service guys and a lot of his staff were Controllers, too."

"The big goal is to get the President and the others." Marco agreed. "They need to get the President under control and he'll then make it possible for them to install a Kandrona right there. They can't have well-known White House personnel secretly running around to Yeerk Pools. So they didn't make this Tony guy a controller because if the whole scheme fails, he'll be stuck in Washington without access to a Kandrona."

Cassie shook her head. "Very clever, boys, but as usual you've overlooked a much simpler explanation."

"What simple explanation?" Jake asked.

"Ego. You have to look at who we're talking about here. It's Visser Three. It's his biggest scheme ever! If it works, the battle for Earth is won. He'll be the big hero of the whole Yeerk Empire. And if it fails, he'll look like a fool. So what's he going to do? Stay aboard the Blade Ship and watch? Uh-uh. Not Visser Three. He wants to be there. He wants to be able to say, 'Look, I did it all. Me, me, me!' Typical males. All you think about is plot. You always forget it's about personality. It's about character. Visser Three has to be there, see. He's an egomaniac."

Jake, Marco, Tobias, and I, and even the Andalite passed around disgruntled looks to each other.

"I still like out explanation." I said with general agreement from my fellow three-legers (or whatever in the case of the bird and the andalite).

Have I mentioned that this is insane? Marco said, coining his catch phrase once more.

Yeah, I think you have. Jake confirmed.

Have I mentioned that all of the insane things we've ever done, this is so insane that it makes all previous insanity seem sane?

I don't think you've mentioned that more than, oh, eight billion times. 

Well, as long as we're clear on the fact that this is INSANE. In. Sane.

Oh, shut up already. I said exasperated.

Yeah, before I squeeze you harder. Rachel threatened.

Oh man, Rachel and David are ganging up on me, this isn't fair! Marco whined.

We finalized our plan. That is after Jake finished his sob story about some cousin who was hit by a bus or something. I don't know I wasn't paying attention. Sue me.

Anyway, we were in our standard raptor morphs. Despite this, we lacked both of our ospreys due to the fact that Cassie had opted to go owl and Marco went snake.

More specifically, my snake Spawn. Bastard.

Anyways, it was night which bit, because even though we're the kings of the sky when it's daylight, at night we fly and see like shit. It was pretty damn frustrating. All our raptor powers were muted.

And to make things worse, we were each carrying a four to six ounce weight. Except for Rachel. She carried Marco. Destination: Marriott Hotel.

Oh wow! Cassie said suddenly. It's him! Cool!

It's who? Jake demanded. 

The President! He's walking from that cottage over to another cottage. Can't you see him? He's wearing shorts.

Let's see if we can get autograph. I suggested. Everyone ignored it.

Ax-man? Tobias asked. Are we high enough to be able to penetrate this force field?

I believe so. the andalite said. Probably. Most likely.

Well, that reassuring. Marco quipped.

I will go first. If I appear to run into an invisible wall and am knocked unconscious and fall toward the ground, you'll know the force field is still too strong at this height.

After a few minutes of waiting, the andalite finally reported. I am inside! Hah! We're only two hundred feet up! An Andalite force field would be ten times this strong at this distance from the focus point.

The rest of us flew in the hologram leaving a very unsettling feeling in our feathers. It was then we spotted our targets.

Three of 'em. Rachel said. No problemo.

We had targeted three human-controllers.

Ready? Jake asked.

Let's do it! Rachel yelled, coining _her_ catch-phrase.

I'm ready, Prince Jake. said the Andalite.

Definitely not. Marco grumbled.

Okay, I go first. Jake said. Then David, since we're the fastest in a dive. Then Tobias, Cassie, Ax, and Rachel with Marco, you come last. On the count of three. One . . . two . . . three!

Five crazy dive bombers took out three controllers easily. Marco was released in case any of them tried to wake up. We landed and demorphed three feet away from oblivious, yet powerful people eating dinner.

That familiar feeling of nausea crept up again.

"Now what?" Rachel mouthed silently.

"We wait." Jake said.

President Clinton came down looking spiffy in his tux. Wait a second . . . 

"Hey, Cass, I thought you said Bubba was outside in shorts. How'd he get in a tux so fast?"

"Must have been someone else." Cassie rationalized.

"Are you sure, Cassie?" Jake asked.

"Well, obviously, he's right in front of us." 

"Yeah, so's this pillar." I said.

Fearless leader decided to go ahead with the plan. While girls turned discreetly away, Jake, the Andalite, and I each acquired and morphed one of the human-controllers.

The morph was easy. A bit creepy, but easy nonetheless. Getting the tuxedos on was harder, but with fashion-witch Rachel, that problem was also quickly solved. Then, we waited.

The Brain-slugs' plan was simple. One of the world leaders would walk behind the pillar while. Then a hologram would be projected of him coming out and giving his prepared speech. Meanwhile the real leader would be getting his head shoved into a mini-Yeerk pool and getting a Yeerk in his own head. Once the speech was over, the hologram would walk behind the pillar again and the real leader, now a controller, would walk out and back to his table.

Our plan was just as simple. We grab the leader and let the hologram do its show. Meanwhile, we show him the Yeerks. The Andalite would demorph as proof.

Our plan was simple and ambitious and could have worked. Could have.

See, we knew one of them was a controller. So when the French guy came and totally ignored us as he walked behind the pillar and out again. We figured he was the one. Then, the Russian guy did the same.

"Battle morphs! Now!" Jake commanded.

And for once, I didn't hesitated or question his orders. I was almost fully lion before I realized what had happened.

Has the truth dawned on you yet? said an evil, and already too familiar voice. Visser Three! Do you realize what has happened? Come, come, surely you must know it now. Surely such brilliant fighters as yourselves must have figured it out.

A trap. It was all a fucking trap.

Turn off the outer hologram. Visser Three commanded. Instantly, the banquet dissolved and in its place stood a wall of Hork-Bajir warriors. Now, turn off the inner hologram.

We knew the marble pillar had disappeared. We stood there defiantly. An Andalite, a hawk, a wolf, a snake, a lion, a tiger, and a bear. 

Oh my.

By the way. The Visser continued. The _real_ banquet is tomorrow night.

Let's get them! Rachel said. What do we have to lose! At least we can take a few of them down with us!

No, we can't. Marco said. We'll never even lay a paw on any of them. We won't get two feet before they fry us.

It really started to sink in just then. Are we going to die? I asked feeling like a scared six-year-old.

Cassie nuzzled me. It felt very comforting. I had to resist the urge to tell her I loved her.

Demorph. The Visser ordered. Don't worry. I have no desire to kill you. After all, six Andalite host bodies? It would be a great accomplishment for me. All of my most trusted lieutenants could have morphing power. That, plus making hosts of the most powerful leaders of this planet? I'll be Visser One before the week is out! Hah-hah! I'll be sitting on the Council of Thirteen within a year!

Someone took their prozac this morning. I shared privately. This was serious. We needed a distraction. But what?????

Marco! Can the Visser see you? Jake yelled suddenly.

Probably not, but about nine thousand Hork-Bajir can!

Marco . . . are they looking at you? I mean, are any of them looking at you?

Actually, no.

The visser was pointing its weapon, called a Dracon Beam, at me. Then Cassie, then Rachel. God, I wish I never found that fucking blue box. What the fuck am I doing here???? Why am I fighting for a species I despise??? Dumb, crazy, insane, evil, murdering, assholes! All of us!!! I should just turn all six billion of us to the yeerks. 

Then, I looked at Cassie. Even through her canine morph. I saw those eyes. Damn them. Damn you, Cassie. Damn you, Stephanie. Damn me, too. 

I came that close to signing off the human race. I didn't because of one girl. One girl I had zero chance getting. 

__

Don't do it for Cassie, David. I reminded myself. _Do it for Stephanie. _Stephanie. That blast from the past was like a slap in the face. Wait a second.

Rachel! Cassie! I called out privately to all my fellow Animorphs. I'm going to pretend to be a turncoat, then you two attack me, okay?

Um . . . ok. Rachel agreed.

I'm growing impatient. Visser Three growled. Demorph. Do it now. If you refuse, I'll kill you one by one till you comply. Who dies first?

Wait! I cried, playing my part. Don't shoot me! I'll demorph. I don't care about these—AAAAHHHHH!

Cassie bit me square on my right hind leg. It hurt like a bitch.

HHRRRRRROOOOOOOWWWWWRRRRR! I screamed in genuine pain. Cassie and I did this chasing-tail routine for a few seconds.

Stop it! Stop it or I'll shoot now!Visser Three yelled.

How the fuck did all those Hork-Bajir get in this place? Jake demanded suddenly. We can barely get a dragonfly in here!

Okay, Rachel, I said privately to her. Now slap me.

She half-rose and swung her bear claw hard across my jaw.

OW! I meant gentle-like!!!

Hah! Andalites fighting among themselves. Visser Three said, amused. But as entertaining as it is, I order you to stop!

She bit me! I yelled.

I'm going to kill _you _first. Visser Three said to me.

Oh shit! I yelled privately to my comrades. What do I do?

Start demorphing, David. Jake commanded. But not too much.

No! I'll demorph! I yelled to the Visser. See? I'm doing it!

Rachel, make a gesturing motion to David. David, cower toward the visser. Jake commanded as if he were directing a film.

Rachel fully rose and prepared to smack me again. I cowered like a big pussy (no pun intended) to the bastard who took my parents. 

Help me, my Visser. I beseech you! I cried running to it. The Visser hesitated before putting its toward me again. Hey, I'm on your side!

"Beseech"? Marco privately wondered to me.

Oh, shut up. I privately told him.

Those Hork-Bajir didn't even flinch! Jake yelled suddenly. Ax?

Yes, my prince.

A hologram inside a hologram. That's what we had, right?

Yes, the hologram of the marble pillar was inside the hologram of the banquet.

Any reason — any technical reason, I mean — why it couldn't be a hologram inside a hologram inside a _third_ hologram?

A third hologram? Rachel wondered.

Yeah. A hologram of a whole army of Hork-Bajir. Jake explains. A projection. A fake. I don't think they're really there. I think Visser Three is here, and maybe he's got a couple of human-controllers with him. But the army of Hork-Bajir around us? I don't think this is a _live_ show. I think we're watching videotape.

Well, smack my ass and call me Chuckie. I said, amazed.

I'll pass. Marco quickly quiped.

You sure, Jake? Cassie asked.

Marco? You're out of Visser Three's sight. Start moving toward the Hork-Bajir.

Attack them? All on my own? Jake, buddy, you better be right.

Yeah, I'd better be.

I'm slithering.

Shit! I'm getting too human. I'm reversing the morph. I reported, hoping the Visser won't notice.

Um, Jake? Marco said. I just bit a Hork-Bajir on the leg. He tasted like air. I went right through him. Hologram, but no force field.

It is a hologram! Jake yelled triumphantly. There are no Hork-Bajir! Just us and the Visser.

I'm fully lion now, Jake. Shall I? I said courageously. About two seconds later, I wondered. _ What the hell am I saying????_

You want to kill someone first, you filthy abomination, destroy me first! the Andalite yelled. The Visser swung its weapon at the Andalite and I summoned all my lion instincts and attacked! The visser fell over, and I tried to gut it. Suddenly, I was shot by an earthling bullet. I barely felt it, but like an idiot, I fell back. The Visser started morphing.

Don't use human guns, you idiots! the Visser yelled. You want everyone in the complex to hear?? Draw your Dracon Beams!

I tried to bring and fuse together all my human and lion instincts. If I did it before, I could do it again. _You took my parents. You threatened my pride. You will die!!!_

I slashed and slashed at the morphing Visser. Yet, all the damage I could do wasn't enough to destroy it.

Cassie gave a painful howl. Instinctually, I turned my head to see. She was burned on her left side. A controller now had a Dracon beam pointed at her head.

NO! Jake and I yelled simultaneously.

The Visser had pushed me off with its two new left arms, but soon found an Andalite tail blade at its throat.

Tell him not to fire! the Andalite said. If he pulls the trigger on that Dracon beam, I remove your head.

The moment was frozen. No one moved. All you could hear was panting.

A standoff???! The Visser screamed. I won't accept that!! I have you! I have you at last! You won't escape me!! More silence. Then the Visser's tone suddenly changes. Which of you is the human? it asked.

My blood ran cold, but the Andalite saved my ass.

Humans? You are losing you sense of reason, visser. Humans do not morph.

I know you found the blue box. The visser continued, demorphing. I know a human boy named David found it. And I know you Andaltie bandits have gotten to him. You either killed him or made him one of you. And killing him in cold blood wouldn't have suited the hypocritical Andalite sense of morality. One of you is the human child David. It's to you that I'm speaking, David. David? Your parents are with me. They miss you. They would like to see you again. 

That asshole took my parents and now he thought he could use them against me???

David, don't say a — Jake started to say.

Too late. You took my parents! I yelled. You turned them into . . . .into Yeerks!!

Yes. But we would not do that to you, David. I give my word. You would be allowed to live free with your parents.

Liar. the Andalite accused. The word of Visser Three.

What other choice do you have? We know what you look like. You'll never be able to go out in the world again, David. Never go to one of your human entertainments. Never –

Silence! the Andalite yelled.

Are you afraid for the young human to hear the truth? You see, David? They can't allow you to learn the truth. The Andalites are a race of liars!

It was right of course. Still. Humans are worse. I said.

"Visser! Humans coming!" said a human-controller.

So, what will it be, David? the Visser asked. Come with us now. We'll take you to your parents.

Don't waste your time, Visser. the Andalite shouted.

"Visser! Humans coming, fast! US Secret Service. We're monitoring their communications. They are searching for the location of all the noises. They'll reach us in minutes."

Come over to us, David. Go to your old home. We'll watch for you there. Come over to us! We'll make you powerful! Safe!

I was starting to get very mad. I was mad at the Animorphs for putting me in this situation. I was mad at the Visser for taking my parents and using them to tempt me. I was mad at myself for being tempted.

__

Don't listen to him, David! Because of this fucker your parents are slaves. Because of this fucker you'll never see Stephanie again!!!

The Visser started to morph again. This time, as Tony: Chief of Protocol. A human. A frail weak human.

Turn the inner hologram back on. the Andalite directed. Just wait till we are all inside it.

We started to head toward the pillar. The Visser was almost fully human and in one of Tony's suits as it backed toward the door.

Remember, David. the Visser said privately to me. We will be there when you need us.

__

It wants you to betray the whole human race. Your parents. Steph. Cassie.

That did it. I lost my temper. Suck my cock, you FUCKING SLUG!!!

That's when the Visser lost its temper. Now fully human, it takes a Dracon beam and starts to rush me with it. 

I pounced on him instead. FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! AAAAHHH!

I was hit by a Dracon beam. Badly. 

David! Cassie screams.

No! Leave him! We'll come back. Jake yells.

They abandoned me. I demorphed. 

"So, they break their laws. A morphing human." The Visser sneers. "Get rid of him."

Two human-controllers pick me up by each arm and hold me. A third punches me in the stomach. 

"The Secret Service is coming." Said a fourth. "Take him to the pillar. Blast any andalite that's left."

The one that punched me dragged me to the now empty little room that held the miniature Yeerk Pool. He held the beam to me until everybody left. The Visser and his entourage. The Secret Service. When the room was empty, my captor threw to the floor and put down the Dracon beam.

"Ah, the morphing human. Heh, heh. I think I'll take you as my host." Sneered my captor. I thought I was furious before, but lying there, helpless, brought to me a whole new feeling of rage.

"HuRAW!!!" I yelled as I kicked him in the balls. I got up he tried to reach for his Dracon Beam but I took it and threw it out of the pillar. Still hunched over, I elbowed him in the back of his head, knocking him to the ground. I straddled him, getting ready to pummel him. He rolled onto his back hoping to fend my attack. He put up a hand on my face to block me, but I punched him straight across his lip, FWAP! Bursting it, leaving him half-conscious. I could have left him there and escaped. 

I punched him again. FWAP! And again. FWAP! And again. FWAP! And again. 

FWAP! I wanted to crucify all the assholes who used God or whatever deity as an excuse to kill people.

FWAP! I wanted to lynch every throwback who thought they were superior just because they were white.

FWAP! I wanted to butt-fuck every shithead who persecuted gays and lesbians.

FWAP! I wanted to castrate all the bastards who thought they were superior just because they had a penis.

FWAP! I wanted to rape all the bitches who thought they were superior just because they didn't.

FWAP! I wanted to feed all the environmentalist assholes who wanted to sacrifice human lives just so some other animal can survive to some giant exotic snake.

FWAP! I wanted to breathe smoke.

David?

Steph?

No, it was Cassie. In owl morph.

David, what are you doing?

"I'm . . . . uh." For a long time, neither of us said anything. I looked down feeling owl eyes drill into me.

Let's go home, David. Cassie finally said softly.

"Ok."

I start morphing to Golden Eagle.

Whose Steph? Cassie asked me.

What?

When I called to you, you called me Steph.

Shit. I must have said it out loud. Um . . . she's no one. I said as I completed the morph.

I knew I hadn't fooled her, but at that point I didn't care. I had failed, and I was raging.

__

I'll kill you, Visser. 

I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do.

Rage is a terrible thing. It eats you up inside. It's the acid that dissolves your stomach. No, it's the acid that dissolves your heart.

The Animorphs who "abandoned" me had actually singed a few feathers sending Cassie to get me. I said my genuine thanks and flew with them back to Fortress of Attitude. 

Cassie probably told them what she saw. Everyone was quiet on the way home. I was virtually seething. I could feel my talons open and close due to wayward energy. We were over the forest before someone spoke.

You did good, David. Jake finally said.

Motherfucker. I should have killed him when I had the fucking chance! I churned.

You almost did. Marco offered.

ALMOST DOESN'T GET MY FUCKING FAMILY BACK!!!! I exploded. 

Just chill out, David. Rachel said. You sound mad.

I'm _angry_, Rachel. I corrected. "Mad" implies dementia.

You sound mad.

What the fuck do you know?!

May I remind you. You're talking to _Rachel_. Marco, of course.

None of you know. None of you fucking know what it's like to lose your family to . . . . them!.

Excuse me? None of us? Marco said, suddenly defensive.

I lost my brother to the Yeerks. said Jake.

My mother. Marco said.

THAT WASN'T YOUR FAULT! I yelled. You aren't the REASON your parents are CONTROLLERS! I fucking lost it. I saw a crow flying toward a dumpster. MotherFUCK!

I pulled back my wings and rocketed toward the crow. 

David, stop! Cassie yelled.

Let him go. Tobias said.

I grabbed it with my talons and flew to a tree. I dove my beak in and ripped out its still beating heart. I swallowed. I kept eating crow till I was full. There's a joke in there, but I was too angry to see it.

I wasn't angry. I was mad.

I registered two birds of prey landing in a tree next to me. I ignored them.

It wasn't your fault, David. said the red-tailed hawk. You couldn't have foreseen this.

Leave me alone.

A second raptor, one I now know as a harrier, landed and demorphed. There stood the Andalite.

Please, David. I know nothing of human psychology. But this rage and guilt you pent up cannot be healthy.

Fuck you, outsider!

The Andalite walked toward me. It held out an arm to the branch I was perched on.

I flared my wings and fluttered to the ground. My talons flattened into feet. My legs and back grew and reshaped into human shapes. Two human arms exploded from my chest. Two wings retracted into my now-human shoulder blades. I went into my karate stance before my beak softened into a nose. 

It took all of fifteen seconds. Definitely my fastest morph. I felt a little light-headed afterward.

The Andalite and the hawk stood in pure shock. The hawk started to morph.

"Go away." I gritted, ready to punch out the alien who could turn me into julienne fries with its tail.

The Andalite didn't move. Instead it too started to morph. In a few minutes they were done.

They were human. The hawk was a blond boy about my height. His hair was darker than mine, however. Brown shades. The andalite was in its pretty boy morph.

"David, listen to me." said the hawk walking toward me.

"Fuck you." I said as I gave a large karate kick in his direction. I missed and Tobias dodged to his right. I recovered, pivoted, and kicked him, missing again and instead breaking off a low tree limb.

Tobias stood by the Andalite now. It now had a wide-eyed human expression of disbelief. Like how can a weak human kick off a tree limb?

"Listen David . . . " Tobias started, but the Andalite silenced him with his now human hand.

"Tobias, let me." the Andalite said as it walked toward me. "David, I realize you are frustrated."

"Stay the fuck away from me, alien!"

It continued undaunted. "You failed to kill the abomination, Visser Three."

"How perceptive."

"You want him dead. It's a sentiment you and I share."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You want it dead because it's the only yeerk to take an Andalite body. And it's an embarrassment to your people to have one of your own a controller. So now you want to kill it? Aw, what a shock! The almighty andalites. Forever the superior species. The holy blue race!"

"It's more than that!"

"Yeah, right. What are trying to do? Protect my planet? I saw how you so quickly 'removed' my father's finger. You don't give a damn about humans much less these five fucking zeros."

"How dare you make such an accusation?!" The Andalite yelled suddenly furious. Its human face was all red and its nostrils flared. "That indictment might better suit you."

"Fuck you! You don't know me!"

"You don't know me! You don't know why it is my sworn duty to murder the abomination."

"What the fuck?! WHAT THE FUCK MAKES KILLING THIS ASSHOLE SO FUCKING IMPORTANT?!"

"HE KILLED MY BROTHER!"

That finally cut through my rage. I walked to a tree and leaned my back and head against it. Tobias stayed silent throughout. Aximili was calming down. After a while I finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Aximili. I didn't know."

"His name was Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul." Tobais said proudly. "In the first and so far only great battle for Earth, Elfangor fought and was mortally wounded. He landed his fighter on the planet's surface. An abandoned construction site. That's where he stumbled upon five children walking home from the mall."

"Holy shit. You guys." I said sliding down the tree and sitting.

"Yes." Tobias concurred. "He told us about the Yeerks. And he gave us the morphing power. He told us to hide when they came. We did, and we watched. We watched Visser Three come out. We watched him morph some hideous monster. We watched as he picked up a fighting Elfangor and dropped him into his mouth. We watched him bite down."

I grimaced noticeably. This was a gruesome story.

"None of us asked for this, David." Tobias continued. "But we were the only ones who could fight. So fight we did for the last year and a half."

"My brother was a great hero to my people." Aximili continued. "But to me he was still my brother. For killing my brother, he will pay. We will make him pay. He will die."

"There are worse things than death." I said as I stood up.

Aximili offered me its . . . _his_ hand. "Comrades?"

I took it. "Comrades."


	11. The Lunch Hour Council

'Allo, my adoring fans,

I just felt I should add a chapter that shows the other character's perceptions on the new David, which of course will involve banging away at the old David. 

And since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, it would be unethical, ungentlemanly, and well, just plain not nice, if I didn't mention that this chapter was inspired by Ryan Griffin's review. Thanks, Ryan.

That being said, Enjoy! 

Til' next we meet,

Augustine Quill

************************************************************************************

**__**

March 19, 199911:17 AM

****

Jake 

The four of us don't usually eat together. It's bad security. Especially after the four of us had cut school the day before, but this was necessary.

The four of us sat at a table. We had to discuss the mission at hand.

But right now the four of us were just silent.

Marco finally broke the silence. "We failed."

"We'll try again." Rachel quickly said.

After some more silence, I finally spoke "I'm worried about David." I said to my group. I then looked specifically at Cassie. "What do you think?"

She shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Cassie." Marco said. "Jake maybe a George Patton, but he's no Sigmund Freud. You're the introspective, tree-hugging hippie, remember?"

"I don't know." Cassie admitted. It seemed like her mind was far off. "He has no qualms over killing non-sentient animals and totally against killing sentient life."

"He killed two crows. _Deliberately. _ In cold-blood. And he's obsessed with killing Visser Three." Marco said.

"Visser Three has a lot of enemies who want a piece of him. Yeerk, Human, Andalite, too many to mention." I said.

"David's father works for the NSA." Cassie brought up.

"Don't remind me." Marco said. "I really don't want to think about how there is one of them in our country's intelligence agency."

"Well, my point is that he was brought up with military principles."

"Which he holds absolute contempt for."

"But that's still how he thinks. If a troop of yeerks does something, he blames the general not the troop."

"Namely, Visser Three." I said.

"Yes," Cassie agreed. "He believes Visser Three should be righteously executed, a sentiment he shares with Ax and half the galaxy. But he also believes that his underlings are innocent and do not deserve death unjust."

"What about what you saw him doing to that controller? He beat his face to frickin pulp!" Rachel reminded.

I considered then telling them about the lion incident between David and I. David had wondered aloud who would win in a fight, lion or tiger. I never offered an answer.

"David seems to harbor a lot of rage." I said finally.

"A lot of rage?? He's out of control!" Marco argued. "He blames himself for the taking of his parents, and yet he doesn't seem to take any responsibility for any of his actions. What was all that talk about ripping off jewelry stores?"

"Marco's right." Rachel said. "He's completely contradictory. You saw the look of contempt he had when he talked about paying back that beach shop. Like we were some naïve little children."

"And yet I saw his relief when Jake rejected Ax's decision to kill the Yeerks in the banquet pool." Cassie argued back.

"So, what? He's against murder but in favor of stealing?"

"That's pretty much the sentiment of most homeless people." Marco said.

Marco had inadvertently made a good point in David's favor. He was homeless. He did what he needed to do to survive. He was against the killing of sentient life, but had no problems with stealing what he needed to survive.

"I'm surprised he's stuck with us so long." I finally said.

"He tried to leave two night ago." Cassie said.

"What?!" Marco and Rachel said in unison.

"I stopped him."

"That's all well and good, Cassie, but what if he tries to leave again?" I said.

"I don't think he will."

"Why not?"

She offered no answer and just seemed to sigh inwardly. Like she was hiding something. I looked over at Rachel. She mirrored my exasperation. I looked over at Marco. He had a rather suspicious look on his face.

"He is smart. Not a bad fighter." Rachel admitted.

"The Ax-man told me that he went from eagle to human in under fifteen seconds." Marco reported.

"Fifteen seconds??!" I yelled. Which got an immediate quiet down gesture from Marco.

"An estreen?" Rachel wondered aloud, but softly.

"Like Cassie." I said looking over to her. Again she smiled weirdly.

"Are you sure?" Cassie asked.

"Well, I believe his exact words were 'His morph took approximately 13.45923 seconds.'"

"Smart _and_ talented." Rachel summarized.

"Visser Three aside, he's against taking sentient life." Marco added.

"But has no problem with stealing." I amended.

"Stealing is taking things, material possessions, _stuff_." Cassie interjected. "Life is life."

"He's an idealist." Rachel concluded.

"Like Cassie." Marco said shooting another suspicious look to her.

This second comparison of Cassie to David got me thinking. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't unsettled. It had only been three weeks since Cassie's own temporary withdrawal from the Animorphs. Her ideals had caused her to leave the group. The result was an incident which she gambled her life on said ideals. She changed the ways of a Yeerk named Aftran. I guess in a spiritual way, she saved her. Hopefully, she can save David, too.

But I was still unsettled. For the first time in a long time, my thoughts were not those of a general, but those of a normal teenage boy.

__

How did Cassie get David to stay? Why is she so silent on the subject?

What is going on between Cassie and David?


	12. Responsibility

**_March 19, 199911:17 AM_**

  
  
  
  


I see it, but my eyes don't seem to want to focus on it. I said.

  
  


Don't be fooled. Follow me. Tobias said.

  
  


Aximili, Tobias, and I were flying toward the mountains. There was something there that they wanted to show me, but they didn't tell me what. The three of us flew into a valley in the mountains and there I saw one of the most amazing things I had ever seen.

  
  


Holy shit! Aren't those . . . ?

  
  


Yes. Aximili answered. But these are not enemies. These are friends.

  
  


I couldn't believe it. I was seeing a community of . . . . Hork-Bajir!

  
  


We helped the first two escape. Tobias said. Jara Hamee and his wife Ket Halpek, and brought them to this valley which is protected by the Ellimist.

  
  


Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden. They're free. All of them.

  
  


Yes.

  
  


Who is this Ellimist guy? This is the same guy who gave you back your powers, right? After you got stuck as a hawk?

  
  


Yeah. He even sent me back to the day before I met Elfangor and had me acquire myself.

  
  


He sent you back in time?? How'd he do that?

  
  


Who knows? He's like omnipotent. He's the chessmaster, and we're his pawns.

  
  


Pawns? Hmph! Knights, maybe. But, pawns? I don't think so.

  
  


There. There's Jara.

  
  


We landed by one of the Hork-Bajir. The one Tobias called Jara.

  
  


Jara was happy to see us. "Friend Tobias. And other Animorphs?"

  
  


Yes. Aximili the Andalite is here as well as a new friend. Tobias said as Aximili and I demorphed. Jara, meet David Hunting. He's smart and ambitious. He'll be a valuable member to our team. Assuming he learns to control his temper.

  
  


Despite the odd denouement, I was rather flattered by Tobias's introduction of me. "Pleasure to meet you, Jara Hamee, Leader of the Free Hork-Bajir."

  
  


"My pleasure, too. Welcome Friend David." Jara said to me. "Hork-Bajir gain new friend too. Big and powerful. He Blue Band." Jara said as he rushed off, assumably to get this new powerful friend.

  
  


"Blue Band?" I asked.

  
  


I have never heard of such a group. Aximili admitted.

  
  


Jara returned with a Hork-Bajir. A rather burly, buff, Arnold-Shwartzanegger-type Hork-Bajir. "This is Ursa Wulvef. When he not have his own head, was Blue Band."

  
  


"Hello." Said Ursa Wulvef. He was large. Seriously large.

  
  


"You know, your name means 'Bear' in an earth language called Latin."

  
  


"Latin?" Ursa wondered. "Soy Ursa. Soy Libre. ¡Libre o Muerto!"

  
  


"No. That's Spanish, but close enough." I said amused. I turned to my cohorts. "How does he know Spanish?"

  
  


Aximili shrugged and Tobias offered no answer.Do you know what he said? Tobias asked me.

  
  


"He said. 'I'm Ursa. I'm Free. Free or Dead!'"

  
  


Tobias chuckled slightly at that. It was good to see you again, Jara. And happy to meet you, Ursa Wulvef.

  
  


"Yes." I agreed. "Well met." I said as I extended my hand. Ursa understood this and shook my hand. He shook it rather roughly at first, but soon started shaking it much more lightly. 

But that was probably because I was acquiring him.

  
  


Aximili started his morph to Harrier. I was about to start my morph when I noticed my hand. My fingers were longer. It was weird. Normally, I have stubby fingers and stubby toes, but now my fingers were long. I looked at my palm. It was a brownish-green color. The same color as Ursa's skin. With a shake, my hand was a lighter shade of pink with five stubby fingers again. Still it was weird.

  
  


David, is something the matter? Aximili asked me.

  
  


"No." I reassured him looking into his morphing main eyes. Then turning back to my palm. "I'm fine." 

  
  


The three of us flew away. We flew to Tobias's meadow, where Tobias said another important ally was waiting to met me. Aximili and I demorphed.

  
  


Erek? Come out. Come out. Wherever you are.

  
  


I turned around and there was a boy. Lanky with light brown hair. 

  
  


"Who are you?" I yelled.

  
  


"I am Erek King. And there is no need to shout."

  
  


"Are you an Animorph, too?"

  
  


"Heh-heh. Not exactly." And with that, Erek's skin shimmered, and I was face to face with a . . . . robot. Sorry. That's what he was. A robot. Steel and . . . . ivory. 

  
  


"Holy Shit."

  
  


"Quite a mouth on this one."

  
  


Erek is a Chee. An android. They've been here since before the plagues. Their fun-loving creators, the Pemalites, were wiped out by the Howlers.

  
  


"Yes. But my masters' spirits live on. We fused them with wolves and created dogs. Do you like dogs?"

  
  


"I'm a cat person, myself. But I did have two dogs, once. My father's beagle named Sam. After he died in the San Francisco Earthquake, Dad bought me a German Shephard-Labrador mix. I named him Lycanthrope, but he was run-over by a car when I was twelve. But then I got my cobra Spawn."

  
  


"I see you have had limited luck with pets." Erek said to me.

  
  


You named your dog Lycanthrope? Tobias asked me.

  
  


"So what's your thing?" I asked.

  
  


Erek and the rest of the Chee are programmed against violence. Aximili explained. They are pacifists, but they are exceptional spies.

  
  


"We spy on the Yeerks. We can give good information from time to time."

  
  


Erek told us about the Yeerks' plan to take all of the world leaders. Tobias said.

  
  


"I see." I said. "Do you know what a Blue Band is?"

  
  


"Hmmm. The Blue Band Hork-Bajir is a special elite task force. Each member of the Council of Thriteen has a unit at his/her/its disposal as does whomever is Visser One. Why do you ask?"

  
  


"Jara Hamee has a made a new buddy. An ex-Blue Band named Ursa Wulvef. Strange thing is: he spoke Spanish. About as well as he spoke English, but still."

  
  


"Most of the Hork-Bajir that come to earth learn some English because of its worldly use, and because most Human-controllers are English-speakers. The only logical reason for Ursa to know Spanish is the he must have been a part of the unit that is assigned to Visser One."

  
  


"So?"

  
  


"Visser One's host body's native language is Spanish."

  
  


"Wait a minute. Visser One is a _human-_controller?"

  
  


"A female originating from Puerto Rico, precisely."

  
  


"That's interesting."

  
  


Even more precisely, she's Eva Bola AKA Eva McCabe. Tobias clarified. Marco's mother.

  
  


"That's even more interesting."

  
  


"Needless to say, it's a sour spot with him." Erek said. "Of course, I don't know for how long she'll be Visser One. First her screw-up on Royan Island, now the fact that Visser Three might succeed in this plan. The Visser has beefed up security at the Hotel. I hope you guys come up with a brand new and more potent plan because I can tell you: The same thing will not work twice."

  
  


It didn't work the first time. Tobias grumbled.

  
  


We'll come up with something, Erek. Aximili said bravely.

  
  


"Let's hope so. Remember: The banquet is tonight!" Erek said.

  
  


He left us. I decided I better improve my repertoire of morphs. I told Tobias and Aximili I was going for a flight. They said okay.

  
  


They didn't trail me at all.

  
  


I flew to the Gardens, but they didn't have what I wanted. I had a very specific idea about what I wanted. See, I knew I would have to go into the water sometime. And the best thing for the water is Killer whale!

  
  


I found one in the Ocean World near Poughkeepsie. 

  
  


As a seagull, I loitered around the tank in which a killer whale named Giuseppe was swimming. The trainer left Giuseppe alone and I demorphed. Giuseppe swam to the side to inspect me. I petted his head and acquired him without incident. I noticed touching him made my hand kind of slippery. Had I gave closer inspection, I probably would have noticed that my palm was white.

  
  


I flew back, demorphing every two hours. When I finally got back to California, it was near 2:00. I found Tobias sitting near a stream. The water was still and the sun was bright. As I demorphed, my specially-trained-see-thru-water eyes changed to normal human eyes, and suddenly a school of fish changed into my and Tobias's reflection. It was like when it's night and you can see clearly out your window, but then you turn on the light and all you see is your reflection.

  
  


Where've you been! Tobias yelled at me. New York City??

  
  


No. New York state. I said as I demorphed.

  
  


What?

  
  


"Don't worry about it." I said.

  
  


Fine. But . . . uh . . . maybe you should worry about him.

  
  


"Who?"

  
  


That rattlesnake behind you.

  
  


I turned my head to see. A rattler was reared up and ready to strike.

  
  


"Maybe I should acquire him."

  
  


David. Tobias said cautiously.

  
  


"Relax, I have a way with animals." I said as I crouched down and extended my hand toward the snake.

  
  


The snake sank its fangs into my forearm.

  
  


"ARRRRGH!" I yelled as I started thrashing about. I started acquiring him through my forearm, but I was still thrashing about. Quite suddenly, my mind stopped panicking and I saw things quite clearly. I vaguely noticed the change in my vision. I grabbed the snake with my other hand and calmly removed his fangs from my arm. I threw him into the stream and soon my scales closed around the wound.

  
  


Scales? What? 

  
  


I looked at my arm and it was covered in scales. Mostly around where the snake bit me but it stretched to the back of my hand to my elbow. 

  
  


Um . . . David. Look in the stream.

  
  


I did and what I saw surprised me. The skin around my eyes and my upper lip were all covered in scales. My nose wasn't even there anymore, just two airholes. My eyes were yellow and my iris was vertical. I looked at my teeth. My canines and the incisor in front of each one fused and elongated into a fang. I lifted my lip. My gums had grown puffier. Poison sacs. As soon as I fully acquired that rattlesnake, my body automatically morphed enough of it to get me through. I reversed the morph.

  
  


"As this ever happened to any of you?" I asked.

  
  


I would have laughed at the image of the hawk shaking his head very comically and human-like if the cognitive significance hadn't frightened me so.

  
  


"What the fuck is wrong with me??!!"

  
  


I can't answer that. I don't think there is anything wrong with you.

  
  


Guys?

  
  


"Cassie?"

  
  


For once, I got it right. Jake has called a meeting.

  
  
  
  


Erek told us they beefed up security. Tobias reported.

  
  


"I figured as much." Jake said. There we were, the seven Animorphs. We were at the Fortress of Attitude discussing how to stop Visser Three's plan.

  
  


"We tried for a Checkmate. Now we are losing this Chess game." Marco said glumly.

  
  


"Could you stop with the metaphors!" Rachel complained. "We need a plan!"

  
  


"Well, what do you do, Rachel, when you are losing at Chess?" Marco riddled.

  
  


"I throw the chessboard into the wall."

  
  


"That's the plan."

  
  


"Where's David?" Jake asked.

  
  


"He's over here." Cassie said. Jake, Marco, Rachel, and Aximili came to see what it was Cassie was looking at. Tobias had a clear view from the rafters.

  
  


"Is he the snake?" Marco wondered

  
  


"What the hell are you doing, David?" Jake asked.

  
  


Would you people shut up? You'll scare him away. I berated.

  
  


"Why are you stalking a rat?" Rachel asked.

  
  


Because I can. I said.

  
  


"You're supposed to be paying attention to the plan." Jake berated back.

  
  


Yes, yes, I know. Operation Throw the Chessboard Against the Wall. I got it.

  
  


Does this serve some purpose, David? Aximili asked.

  
  


Just trying out a morph. So, you know, I'm prepared before I have to use it in battle.

  
  


Sounds prudent.

  
  


The rat made his move. I struck. I didn't bite. I coiled. I didn't want to kill him. I trapped him. Gotcha!

  
  


"Are you done now?" Jake asked impatiently.

  
  


Yes. Just, Tobias will you grab the rat and not eat it please? I'm demorphing.

  
  


"Why are you saving the rat?"

  
  


Because I'm taking it to prom. I'M GONNA ACQUIRE IT, MORON!

  
  


Within a minute I was human. I took the rat and started acquiring it.

  
  


"You don't have to call me moron." Marco pouted.

  
  


"We're going to swim up the coast in dolphin morph." Jake explained. "Once we beach ourselves on shore, we morph something that does damage. Elephant or Rhino."

  
  


"Jake, I don't have any pachyderm morph." I admitted while scratching my hand. I also didn't have a dolphin morph, but I figured my killer whale morph would do just fine. Damn, my hand itched.

  
  


"You and most of us here. We're going to stop off at the Gardens. Don't worry."

  
  


"We reach the bungalows. Basically the plan from then on is go forth and reek havoc." Marco so eloquently stated.

  
  


"Shit! We're going to break up that banquet like a high school kegger!" I yelled, loosely quoting the great Jay Phat Buds from _Mallrats_.

  
  


"I like this plan." Rachel said.

  
  


"Big surprise." Marco and I said simultaneously. My hand still itched. I looked at it. It had black hair. 

  
  


Rat hair. Shit.

  
  


I had no idea what the problem was. Since this morning, everytime I acquire a creature, whatever part of me acquired it, automatically morphs it. In some cases, like the rattlesnake, more will change. It was weird. 

  
  


Again, my morph to eagle was faster than the others. Even Cassie. As we flew to the Gardens, I thought about my strange morphing.

  
  


It started when I was nearly trapped in flea morph. I demorphed in the exact pose of my karate meditation stance. Then, there was the mind-merging in lion morph. And the lightspeed demorph from eagle to human. That was all yesterday. Today, all my acquisitions have been weird. I debated telling my comrades. I decided against it. Still, Tobias was there at the worst of the incidents, the acquisition of the snake morph. And yet, Jake, Cassie, nor anyone else confronted me about it. This whole team player thing is complicated.

  
  


I acquired a rhinoceros. Again the hand I used to acquire became like the rhinoceros, gray and wrinkly. Then it changed back. I morphed to Eagle and flew with my compatriots. Maybe I was reading too much into this.

  
  
  
  


We were seagulls now flying along the coast at night. It would have been a nice flight had there not been a fucking hurricane blowing. Powerful winds, thunder, lightning, tsunami waves, the whole works.

  
  


Yaahh! Marco yelped at a lightning bolt. That's nice. That's just perfect!

  
  


Jake, we're not going to make any more distance against this wind. Tobias warned. Especially not with wet feathers.

  
  


Yeah, you're right. Jake agreed. We'll swim the rest of the way along the coast.

  
  


No problem. Rachel said. All we have to do is land in the water.

  
  


Oh. Is that all? I asked sarcastically. 

  
  


Seagulls land in water all the time. Cassie pointed out. Although maybe not in the middle of a hurricane . . . 

  
  


All right, lets go. Jake said.

  
  


I wonder if I can do the front crawl with wings. I wondered aloud.

  
  


Dive!

  
  


I landed in the water, bodysurfing. I was too buoyant to sink. Now, we had to demorph and remorph as our aquatic animals. I wondered what animals the others had.

  
  


This is going to be rough. Jake cautioned. Everyone be careful.

  
  


Jake, why don't we do this one at a time? Cassie suggested. I'll go first. Then I can help others.

  
  


Okay. Jake said. Cassie morphs first. She's fastest.

  
  


Actually, David's fastest. Tobias admitted.

  
  


But David's never morphed dolphin before.

  
  


Oh no! We forgot to get David a dolphin morph!! Marco yelled.

  
  


I have a water morph. Don't worry. I said. I got it today.

  
  


Oh good. Jake sighed. For a minute there I thought we left you high and dry.

  
  


Ha. Believe I've never been lower or wetter. I said as a wave douses me. Literally!

  
  


Cassie! Cassie! Rachel yelled. Jake, she's drowning!

  
  


Shit! The wave doused her too. And she's human now! I started to demorph.

  
  


Don't do anything stupid, Rachel. She'll pull it out. Jake commanded.

  
  


Funny. He didn't order me not too.

  
  


That goes for you too, David!

  
  


Shit. Too late. I was almost fully human. Now that I was, I needed air. Fortunately, a lightning bolt guided my way. I put my head up and sucked air. I was an experienced swimmer, so I could navigate the waves a lot easier than Cassie probably could. She was outdoorsy, but no athlete. Then I started my morph. _Killer Whale. AKA Orca._

  
  


My mouth jutted out and a tail erupted from my spine. My arms flattened and became flippers. My legs shriveled into nothing. A dorsal fin grew from my back. Blubber upon blubber upon blubber. I was a killer whale. The morph took all of thirty seconds.

  
  


Threats? No threats? I was the king of the ocean. Me and my brothers and sisters. We were the rulers. The great ones were vast. The little ones were fast. I was a mighty one! 

  
  


I saw one of my sisters flailing. She wasn't a mighty one. She was a human. Rachel. 

  
  


_Your mind is merging again, David._ I thought to myself. I lifted up beneath her, lifting her above the water level.

  
  


PING! PING! I heard. Someone was echolocating me.

  
  


Oh my God! It's a mighty one! Cassie yelled.

  
  


A what?? Marco yelled.

  
  


A killer whale. Cassie clarified. And it's got Rachel!

  
  


Relax! It's just me. I said.

  
  


You could have told us your morph was a killer whale. Jake said.

  
  


What difference does it make?

  
  


Just be careful.

  
  


Ten minutes later we were all dolphins. Save me, of course.

  
  


I feel quite relaxed. Happy, even Aximili said.

  
  


Dolphin Brain. Marco said.

  
  


I knew nothing of this. My whale instincts thought my friends looked yummy. I ignored them. We swam to shore, attempting to intentionally beach ourselves.

  
  


Are we close enough? Marco wondered.

  
  


We need to get as close as we can. Cassie said. A little more.

  
  


I'm stuck. I said.

  
  


That's because you're bigger than the rest of us. Marco berated.

  
  


Oh, gee, thank you. I didn't realize that! I said sarcastically.

  
  


Our morphs should be able to power out of this depth. Cassie said.

  
  


I demorphed and instantly became really tired. Morphing. It zaps your energy. I almost didn't want to morph again. Again we morph into battle. This time I was going rhino. 

  
  


_I can't do this. It's too hard. Why do I need to go rushing into something that could kill me? _

  
  


A lightning bolt illumintated the night some. I saw two shaping elephants and one rhinoceros.

  
  


_Cassie is one of those elephants. You can do it._

  
  


I gave a bellow that was drowned out in the surf and thunder, but it made me feel better nonetheless. My shoulders expanded my arms and legs got thicker. My nose and jaw jutted forward. I grew a horn. Within thirty seconds, I was a rhinoceros.

  
  


_I am rhino. Don't mess with me. I'm supposed to be taking a nap._

  
  


The rhinoceros mind was kinda quite. A herbivore, of course. But a dangerous one. I grabbed a hold of the instincts and hoped I wasn't mind-melding again.

  
  


Ready? Jake asked.

  
  


Ready. Marco answered.

  
  


This animal's nose moves quite delicately. Aximili shared.

  
  


Yeah, my nose not so delicately. I shared.

  
  


Let's go. Jake commanded. 

  
  


Rachel announced herself with a distinct elephant trumpet blast, then she plowed the Secret Service agent in front of her.

  
  


Remember, we have to assume these are all innocent humans. Jake reminded. Everyone ready? Charge!!

  
  


'Charge?' Marco laughed. I bet he's always wanted to say that.

  
  


We charged. Aximili was with me. 

  
  


David. I've been told that your morph has some trouble seeing. I will assist you.

  
  


I don't know Aximili, I kinda like looking at my enormous shnoze 24/7. I quipped.

  
  


Um, anyway. Our target is in front of us.

  
  


Okay. I'm charging. I said as I ran for the blurred target in front of me. Ax, how close am I t-- Ow!

  
  


You've substantially damaged the wall. Aximili reported.

  
  


Next time. We do a door. How do I finish this off? My body can't break it.

  
  


Let me try mine. Aximili said as he lifted his front two legs and bashed in the rest of the wall. Instantly we met gunfire.

  
  


Ow! What's the deal?

  
  


"Damn Andalites!" A shooter said with a British accent.

  
  


This is Tony Blair's bungalow. I said. And it's full of controllers.

  
  


His people are shooting at us. Someone in a suit is commanding them.

  
  


Is it Tony Blair? Is Blair the one that's a controller?

  
  


I don't know. I am trying to render the shooters unconscious, but my nose has been shot many times.

  
  


Let me try mine. I said as I bash through some of the shooters, who were probably controllers.

  
  


"Stop shooting, you're just getting them angry!" Said a voice. I recognized it. Tony Blair.

  
  


Aximili, did the commander order the shooters to stop.

  
  


No, he said "Ignore the damn human. Shoot."

  
  


Take out the commander.

  
  


I heard a bone crunching thud. Done.

  
  


Let's jet.

  
  


Jet?

  
  


Let's go!

  
  


Jake, they're bringing in reinforcement! Rachel yelled.

  
  


Time to bail. Jake yelled.

  
  


Aximili and I were both bleeding way too much. We ran into the surf.

  
  


How will they ever, ever explain that? Tobias wondered.

  
  


I don't know, Rachel admitted, but that's one summit meeting no one will forget.

  
  


We ran into the surf like some psycho-version of _Baywatch_. We demorphed, half-drowned, then remorphed to dolphin or orca as the case was. 

  
  


We swam. We were a relieved pod of marine mammals. I felt glad that we succeeded. We stopped Visser Three! We defeated him. This was a great battle.

  
  


But the war was far from over.

  
  


Did any one see Visser Three? I asked.

  
  


I did. Rachel said. Needless to say, he was not happy.

  
  


Damn. I guess I'll have to wait till next time to destroy it. Oh well, I'm so tired. It's time for me to hit the hay. And in my case that's quite literal.

  
  


PING!

  
  


PING!

  
  


Whose echolocating me? I asked.

  
  


No one. Marco said. That's radar!

  
  


Not radar. A Yeerk location system used to find aquatic Andalite ships. Almost humanly primitive. We need to swim faster.

  
  


Can they see us, Ax? Jake asked.

  
  


Not exactly. Their systems will not pick up something a dolphin's size.

  
  


PING! That brought some confusion to us. If they can't pick up something our size, why are we fleeing?

  
  


PING! Wait a minute. What about an orca? I ask.

  
  


PING! Aximili was silent.

  
  


Fuck! Damnit! I yelled. I was becoming cowardly hysterical. We're going to get captured because you assholes neglected to tell me I needed a dolphin morph?? I'm not even supposed to be here! I should be back in Georgia. I don't belong here.

  
  


PING!

  
  


Shut up! Rachel yelled. We wouldn't be getting captured if _you _had told us you didn't have a dolphin morph. You knew we were morphing dolphins, you should have said you didn't have one! The only one you have to blame is you, you fucking coward!

  
  


PING! The tactless, insane, warrior bitch had nailed it right on the nose. I never understood that metaphor, but you know what I mean.

  
  


PING!You're right.

  
  


PING!I'm right?

  
  


PING!You're so fucking right. I am a coward.

  
  


PING!

  
  


PING!

  
  


PING!Well, no more! I turned tail and ran. Not out of cowardice. Out of bravery. Or foolishness. The same thing when you think about it. I swam and the PINGs followed me. I allowed them to find me. I submerged. It didn't do a damn thing . It stayed above me like a marker, forever telling them where I was. 

  
  


"I will not yield,  
To kiss the ground before the Visser's feet,  
And to be baited with the rabble's curse.  
Though the Yeerkish fleet be come to Terra Firma,  
And thou opposed, being of no human born,  
Yet I will try the last. Before my body  
I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Visser,  
And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'"  


With my altered quote from _MacBeth_, I rose and surfaced. I flew in the air like an insane version of _Free Willy_. I saw vaguely the small fighter ship (something my friends called a Bug Fighter) that had tracked me. 

  
  


I landed on top.

  
  


The Bug Fighter cracked, sending its crew into the water. A single Hork-Bajir. He was out of place in these hurricane waves. He soon disappeared from my echolocation. I was cut up and bloody, but the Bug Fighter had been destroyed. I was fine. 

  
  


ARRRG! Something was bitting me! I swam toward a rock. There was some kind of big worm on top of me. Let me go!

  
  


I intentionally crashed into the rock, expecting to bruise the creature that was eating chunks of my flesh off. Instead I simply burst it open. Blood billowed. Blood with an alien taste.

  
  


Yeerk!

  
  


The creature did fly off all of the sudden. I echolocated. It was big. The thickness of a tree. It had way to many centipede legs and lobster arms. Globular eyes that were probably compound. Circular mouth with small protrusions that were probably teeth. Something within the mouth was circling. A tongue probably. It was circling itself as if trying to eat itself. Then it saw me.

  
  


You want to eat me! I bet I could eat you first! 

  
  


We raced toward each other in some psychotic version of chicken. I opened my mouth and it opened its. Mine was apparently much bigger. I eat him in one chomp. Disgusting creature. Didn't taste all that great either. Only then did I consider that maybe that the creature was Visser Three.

  
  


Yeah right I said. Wouldn't that be my luck? The Visser would never morph something that weak. And it would have reproached me verbally if it was the Visser. I wonder where that coward is.

  
  


Closer than you think, Andalite! Suddenly, I was grabbed by something cold and metal. I was lifted out of the water into the air. I was being lifted into the belly of a ship. I couldn't see the ship, but I didn't need to. The feeling of extreme dread was all the hint I needed.

  
  


The Blade ship of Visser Three.


	13. FaceOff

  
  


My adoring fans,

  
  


Heh-heh. Have I kept you in suspense long enough?

  
  


This is the end of the original Trilogy. I am debating how I am to continue this. I don't want to rewrite each book. There are some cases where David's presence makes a difference, and in some cases, not. For instance, I have him morphing a Helmacron in "the Suspicion", which in the long run, doesn't change the outcome of the book. Similarly, in "The Extreme", all his presence changes is that he catches the seals for them to morph. 

  
  


I also have in mind adventures which revolve around David, including his first meeting with the Ellimist (which happens right before "The Attack"), an adventure which involves him getting sucked into Z-space (a lá "The Decision") and getting rescued by Korla (the species mentioned to be still fighting the Yeerks, but never heard about again. Which book was that by the way??), and you the readers may get a chance to meet Stephanie.

  
  


I do promise however that I will do the complete War Saga (45-54) minus 48 of course, because now it no longer happens.

  
  


So, I guess, review my story and tell me if there is a specific book, you'd like me to do. And don't say "All of them!" No! Tell me a specific book. Tell me five specific books. I don't care. Just tell me.

  
  


Til next we meet,

  
  


Augustine Quill

  
  


PS. Oh and I just want to make sure you get this. Remember, David's last name is Hunting! 

  
  


**********************************************************************************************

**_March 19, 1999 9:03 PM_**

  
  
  
  


Once I was fully inside the ship, the claw dropped me roughly. I was hurt. My dorsal fin and left flipper were ripped. My tail was bleeding profusely. My blowhole was choking blood. 

  
  


I fired some clicks, but they came back distorted. Nonetheless, I got the impression that I was surrounded by armed Hork-Bajir.

  
  


Ah! So this night has not been a total waste! I have caught one of the accursed andalite bandits! You wouldn't happen to be the nasty long-nosed creature who nearly stampeded me, would you?

  
  


No, I had a horn on my nose. I replied, wondering which elephant he was referring to. Probably Rachel.

  
  


Hmmm, even so, with your capture, I will finally take my rightful position as Visser One!

  
  


It occurred to me then that yeerks are referred to by their position. By their job. How sad. It is as if they did not have names.

  
  


Now, andalite, demorph!

  
  


My damaged flippers and dorsal fin retreated. As did my tail. My arms and legs formed under me. My bulk shrank and my newly formed arms and legs pushed me up. My blond hair sprouted on my head. Soon, the last traces of orca were gone. I was human. I was on my elbows and knees. I got up and stared down the shocked Visser. He was staring at me with all four of his eyes, something Aximili told me was foolish. All Andalite warriors are trained to _always_ have one stalk eye scanning.

  
  


Well, well, well. The Visser said. The human! Ha Ha Ha. What was it you told me to do? Oh yes, "suck my cock." Which I've been told is a reference to your sex organs. Something all male humans at your age are obsessed with. How primitive, human.

  
  


"My name is David Hunting." I said defiantly. I looked at the room I was in. It was the same area that I was in the day before yesterday. It was a lot more spacious without the helicopter here. There was a ring of Hork-Bajir warriors. None as burly as my morph, but I had no illusions. They had the Dracon beams, not me. The Visser was close to me, but his tail was lazily held behind him. After all, what did he need it for? How much damage could a human possibly do? The Visser was out of arms' reach. 

  
  


Well, then, David. I am willing to let you go _and _return your parents to you. The Visser said, trotting closer to me. All you have to do is tell me the location of the Andalites' base. What do you say? He said laying his hand on me. No, not _his_ hand, but a hand nonetheless.

  
  


_Get your damn hand off me you dirty slug! _I thought to myself, once again loosely quoting a movie. I grabbed his hand, twisted around and gave a chop to his arm. It broke easily. I gave a roundhouse kick to the Visser's andalite face and he went sprawling. This prompted several Hork-Bajir to advance with their weapons.

  
  


NO! the Visser commanded, while getting up and trotting toward me. Let me. I see the human youth is too stupid to be bargained with. I should rip off your head! I instantly found a tail blade to my jugular. The Visser's stolen Andalite nose was bleeding blue-black blood. He was cradling the arm that I broke with his other arm. Again, he was staring at me with all four of his eyes. Foolish.

  
  


I had only one chance to attempt this. If I could really control my morphs, I should be able to do this. It had to be fast and sudden. If the Hork-Bajir noticed, I was a dead man. I felt my arm become heavy at a fast rate. _STRIKE NOW!!!_ I struck. The Visser noticed my movement and tried to remove my head with his tail blade.

  
  


But he no longer had a tail blade.

  
  


Within a second, my entire forearm was Hork-Bajir, blades and all. I used my new blades to sever the Visser's tail. 

  
  


The Visser was now bleeding profusely. He retreated to the other end of the room. I finished the morph to Ursa Wulvef within thirty seconds. The Hork-Bajir did not make a move.

  
  


That's one of Visser One's Blue Bands! Is she in league with your andalite friends, or are the rumors true? The Colony of Free Hork-Bajir exists?

  
  


I turned my head toward the wounded visser. No! He was morphing. A large, collared lizard with six front arms and two back legs. I waited until he finished morphing.

  
  


He faced me fully morphed.

  
  


Let's dance. I said.

  
  


The Visser pounced. I dodged and buried a blade in his flank. A tail wrapped around my neck. I severed it and backed up. I removed the tail around my neck. The Visser spat a stream of acid. I swerved and the acid hit another Hork-Bajir. 

  
  


I tripped on something and sprawled on the floor. Soon the Visser's jaw was in my face. With a windmill kick plus some help from my tail, I was once again standing. I grabbed the disoriented visser's jaw, and clamped it shut with my hands. I swung him around like a heavy bola. I swung him into Hork-Bajir controllers. I swung him into metal crates that were strewn around the hanger bay. Finally, I swung and released him into the far wall.

  
  


YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT HUMAN!

  
  


I said nothing, but I made a "come here" gesture with my hand. He pounced yet again. I ducked, stuck my blade in the tip of his under-jaw, and let gravity do the rest. I split him end-to-end. The visser lay dying on the floor.

  
  


Yeah!!!! Who's the man??!!! I have done what the almighty Andalites couldn't do! I have killed Visser Three!

  
  


Two human-controllers who looked vaguely familiar entered the hanger bay. They mirrored the shocked expressions of the Hork-Bajir.

  
  


You heard me! I shouted at them. I killed him. Your precious visser is dead! I shouted while dancing around the room like the football player who scored the winning touchdown.

  
  


David, watch out! someone shouted. Aximili?

  
  


Fighting Visser Three has taught me a valuable lesson: Never leave a morph-capable warrior to bleed to death. If death was not instantaneous, it wasn't death. Merely, a set-back. 

  
  


I turned around to see the visser fully demorphed. With his tail intact. He swung high. I jumped. Not high enough. He removed my legs. I landed hard on the ground.

  
  


Ha Ha Ha! Foolish human. I will enjoy killing you. ARRG! Visser Three said, getting hit with a Dracon beam.

  
  


"That was a warning shot, yeerk!" said one of the human-controllers.

  
  


You?? You two! Didn't I execute you two yesterday night?

  
  


Suddenly, two stalk eyes popped out of the head of the human-controller who shot the beam. It wasn't us!

  
  


Aximili and Jake!

  
  


Andalites!! the Visser roared.

  
  


Aximili was demorphing as fast as he could. Jake just fired, but he was grabbed and thrown into a standing-up crate. Like Dracula's coffin. A Hork-Bajir controller shut him in. 

  
  


"Akin demorph in that, Hruthin!" said the controller.

  
  


Meanwhile, I was dragging my paraplegic self behind a crate. I was hiding. Out of cowardice. I had my moment of bravery, but I was still a coward. 

  
  


_Why, Jake?? Why?? Why couldn't you have let me die with honor??_

  
  


_"Die with honor"? Is that what I've been trying to do? Die with honor? _Why else would I have quoted _MacBeth_? The coward who hid behind the predictions of witches.

  
  


Meanwhile, while I pouted, Aximili was being overrun by the Hork-Bajir. Even when the Tiger pounced out of the crate, leaving many controllers confused as to how an andalite could have demorphed in that narrow crate, Jake and Aximili were soon overwhelmed by the yeerks.

  
  


Tie them up! If the human child does not show himself, kill them. the Visser commanded. Do you hear that, David? Show yourself! Or they will die!

  
  


I was losing a lot of blood. So I demorphed.

  
  


He's here somewhere! Tell Ekirt Two-Three-Seven to take off. We have his two friends. We will draw him out.

  
  


I peered behind my box. The Visser had it's back to me. To a human that's a safe position, but an Andalite had stalk eyes. I had to be careful. 

  
  


_Stop hiding, you pussy!! They came to rescue your sorry ass. Now return the fucking favor!!_

  
  


Suddenly, the Blade Ship was rocked hard. I held my positon, but Aximili, the Visser, and several Hork-Bajir fell over. A few of the lighter crates flew. 

  
  


_Arrgh!_ Something had stabbed me in the leg. I looked down and saw and andalite tail blade in my outer thigh. My blood ran cold. Then I noticed that the tail blade was not connected to anything. I looked at my friends and their captor. The Visser still had his tail blade. Aximili and Jake were tied up with Dracon Beams and Hork-Bajir blades pointed at them, but Aximili still had his tail blade. This must be the tail blade I severed earlier.

  
  


What was that?! the Visser roared.

  
  


A gigantic worm came into the bay. It was one of those things that attacked me in the water. It let out a string of sputters and spits.

  
  


WHAT DO YOU MEAN A LARGE SEA CREATURE IS ATTACKING THE SHIP?????! the Visser roared. I DON'T CARE! BLOW IT APART!!!!!!!

  
  


Ahh! screamed someone in pain.

  
  


_Cassie?_

  
  


Cassie! Jake yelled.

  
  


I guess everyone has a cause that makes them courageous. To some people it is money. To others, it is honor. To me . . . . 

  
  


It was a girl.

  
  


I picked up the Visser's severed blade. I jumped up screaming ferally and stabbed it into the base of his newly healed tail. His tail went limp. I then grabbed his head and put his own severed blade to his throat.

  
  


My own blade? MY OWN BLADE??!!

  
  


"It isn't _your_ blade, worm!" I hissed at him. "Release my friends! Now!"

  
  


No! Not again! This is twice, I've had you! And twice, I've lost you! I will not accept that!

  
  


"Except it, Yeerk. You're dealing with a human now. All bets are off!"

  
  


I will make you suffer for th- the Visser started. He stopped short as I pressed the blade in slightly harder.

  
  


"Shut up. And if I see so much as one of your hairs change color, I'll OJ Simpson your ass. Release the Andalites, now! Or the Visser is dead."

  
  


The Hork-Bajir complied. They untied Aximili and Jake. Meanwhile, I acquired the visser. Or more accurately, I acquired his host. 

  
  


Rachel! Marco! Tobias! Retreat now. Jake commanded, privately. David, why is your arm blue?

  
  


We're going. Tobias reported back.

  
  


Cassie, pick up those three, then prepare to catch the three of us as we exit the blade ship through the belly hatch.

  
  


No problem. I'm remorphed and ready to go.

  
  


"Open the belly hatch." I commanded. They complied.

  
  


You fools! Don't let them get away! This human child won't destroy me! It isn't in him.

  
  


If he fails, I'll do it. Aximili warned.

  
  


Ha Ha. The boy won't let you. To a human, it is _dishonorable_ to kill a defeated opponent.

  
  


"What makes you think I believe that horse shit?!" I shouted bravely. But it was false bravery. The Visser was right. I had never killed anyone sentient. Sure, I've tried, and I said I would do it, but I had never actually done it. I wasn't sure that I could. 

  
  


Come on, David. Aximili told me privately. We have him right where we want him. Destroy him, and both our families will be avenged.

  
  


I let him go. I couldn't do it. I couldn't be dishonorable.

  
  


_Dishonorable, my ass. You're a coward, David! _I thought bitterly to myself.

  
  


_Moot point! Killing is wrong. Even if it is the Visser._ I countered to myself.

  
  


The Visser began to walk away. I knew it. I knew you would never cross the line.

  
  


When your mind is divided, it can takes only one pearl of wisdom and/or one stupid comment to unite it.

  
  


_Cross the "line"? CROSS THE "LINE"?!!_

  
  


I pulled the Visser back. I stared at his startled stalk eyes as I whispered in his ear. 

  
  


"There . . . is . . . no . . . line."

  
  


I slit his throat.

  
  


The Hork-Bajir rushed us. Aximili grabbed me and pulled me to the hatch. The last thing I saw as I jumped into the water was the Hork-bajir carrying the Visser out of the bay. The Blade ship lifted off as I hit the water. Moments later, a floor rose up to meet me, and I was soon sitting on a humpback whale.

  
  


"Cassie?"

  
  


Yes, it is she. Jake told me.

  
  


Rachel and Tobias were there in Hork-bajir morph. Marco was in Gorilla morph. The three of them were cut up pretty badly. Jake and Aximili were also cut up. Cassie had been shot. All to save me.

  
  


I looked at Aximili. "He's going to survive, isn't he?"

  
  


Yes. He was all ready morphing before we left.

  
  


The storm had died. We reached shore and flew collectively to Tobias's meadow. I wasn't sure why just then.

  
  


We demorphed. 

  
  


Jake approached me. "Listen, David. It really was unfair of us to throw you in this war."

  
  


"Life isn't fair. What choice did you have? Given the alternative, I much prefer this." I countered.

  
  


Jake seemed to be deep in thought. "Guys? Everyone, listen to me." Jake shouted to us. When he got our attention, he addressed us.

  
  


"Dealing with David, I've become aware of something. You can't make a person fight. You can't make a person do anything. Every single one of our actions, we've done out of our own free will. I guess this what we are fighting for. Even the slaves of the south had free will, which is why the Underground Railroad was such a success, I suppose. My point is if any of you want to back out, you can."

  
  


Everyone just kind of stared at Jake. Aximili and the girls looked surprised. I guess the thought never occurred to them. Marco had some far away look on his face. Tobias' expression was unreadable.

  
  


I will not back down! Aximili said. "I have not yet begun to fight!" A human named John Paul Jones said that. I agree.

  
  


"As I much as I hate this war. I can't just pretend it isn't there." Cassie said. "I tried that once. Never again."

  
  


Out of the five of us who met him that night, I was one who felt closest to Prince Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul. I don't know why, but I did. Tobias started. I take back what I said about Tobias's face always being unreadable. There was definitely some emotion in that feathered face. I couldn't do that Elfangor. I couldn't.

  
  


"Rachel?" Jake asked.

  
  


"Hell, no! I ain't backing out yet." Rachel bellowed.

  
  


"While I don't share her blind enthusiasm," Marco said, "I'm not going anywhere."

  
  


I noticed a small raptor land on a nearby rock just then. The raptor looked familiar.

  
  


"Cassie? Isn't that the raptor we released on Wednesday?"

  
  


"Yes. It is the merlin."

  
  


"David?" Jake prompted. "Are you going to stay with us?"

  
  


I walked slowly to the merlin. I placed my hand on his back and acquired him. My hand grew feathers. When I finished acquiring him, the merlin flew off. I morphed him in forty seconds.

  
  


"David?" Jake said again. "Are you with us?"

  
  


"The days of a war of leisure are done.

The curse of Hamlet shall not rule o'er me.

Damned be the war; its sins dost shame the sun.

Bless'd be the warr'or who fights to be free.

  
  


God-given Liberty is oft let go,

Though Mind and Heart need be free to be whole.

If Righteousness is a sword; be it so.

And may Yah-weh have mercy on my soul."

  
  


"That's beautiful, David." Cassie said. "Shakespeare?"

  
  


No. I said as I demorphed. When I was human, I smiled cunningly. "Hunting."


	14. Loose Ends

**_March 20, 1999 11:30 AM_**

  
  
  
  


"This is the most disgusting thing I have ever done in my life." I complained.

  
  


"It's necessary. It's the only way we can catch one of these things." Cassie explained.

  
  


"Couldn't I just acquire and morph a frog?"

  
  


"Will you stop complaining?! Is it that bad?"

  
  


"I have BULLSHIT on my hand! Actual bullshit."

  
  


"Do you know a better way to catch a fly?"

  
  


"Honey. Sugar. Vinegar, even! Anything is better than bullshit!"

  
  


"It's _manure_, and just acquire one, a few are already flocking."

  
  


I acquired the stupid fly, and, almost immediately, my entire forearm changed. Spiky, no fingers per say, just some bigger spikes that stick to stuff.

  
  


"Oh! That's not pretty!"

  
  


"Just wait till you morph one completely." Cassie said as I shook the shit off of my fly arm. "So it's true. You do automatically morph when you acquire something."

  
  


"Yeah. Do you think it's a big deal? I don't."

  
  


"Well, it's hard to say. I'm just curious as to what this means."

  
  


"It means my body reacts differently to the biotechnology." I pressed. "It doesn't mean anything."

  
  


"Hey, guys what's up?" Marco said as he and human-morphed Aximili entered the barn. Tobias fluttered in from the rafters.

  
  


"David just acquired the fly." Cassie said.

  
  


"Ick. When we acquired flies, I swear, my hand was sticky for days."

  
  


"Sticky?" I asked.

  
  


"Yeah. You know, from the honey."

  
  


"Honey?!" I said, shooting a glare to Cassie.

  
  


"We don't have any honey!" Cassie said defensively.

  
  


"So what did you use?" Marco asked.

  
  


I wondered if Marco had seen _Mallrats_. I extended my right hand to him. The hand I used to acquire the fly. "Say, would you like a chocolate-covered pretzel?"

  
  


"Ok, I've seen _Mallrats_, so no. And may I add, ew."

  
  


"Prince Jake said we should get you a dolphin and hammerhead shark morph. Hammerhead. Haaammmmmerr."

  
  


"Don't I get to wash my hand first?" I asked. "Where is Fearless Leader and Psycho-Blonde anyway?"

  
  


They will be a little busy this weekend. Tobias answered. Their cousin Saddler died this morning.

  
  
  
  


When the trainers went away three seagulls demorphed as a red-tailed hawk and fourth seagull flew cover.

  
  


"These are the dolphins?" I asked.

  
  


"Yep. The happy family of six." Marco explains. "Joey, Chandler, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, and Ross."

  
  


"Funny, this tank doesn't say 'Central Perk' on it."

  
  


"It wasn't our idea to name them after characters in a tv show." Cassie said.

  
  


"Not a TV show, _the_ TV show. Show some respect."

  
  


The Trainers are almost done with their lunch. Will you guys pick one? Tobias reported.

  
  


"Ok. Which one is Chandler?"

  
  
  
  


"Hey, this is where I acquired my orca morph." I said. I was in morph, the human I acquired and morphed two nights ago. Cassie didn't like me using it, so she resolved to have Aximili teach me something he calls a Frolis Maneuver. I'm sure I'll understand when I have to do it.

  
  


We were riding in a bus headed to the Poughkeepsie Ocean World.

  
  


"You flew here? As a bird?" Tobias asked me.

  
  


"Yeah, so?"

  
  


"That just seems tiring."

  
  


A half an hour later, we were around the shark tank.

  
  


"You have got to be kidding me." I said. "He'll rip me apart."

  
  


"Should we give a distraction?" Tobias suggested.

  
  


"Wait! I have an idea." I said as I jumped out toward the middle of the tank.

  
  


"David! What are you doing?!" Cassie asked me in fright. 

  
  


But I was already three times my size before I hit the water. Within a few seconds after I went under, I was fully orca.

  
  


The shark saw me and began to come after me. I rushed him, but turned slightly so I caught him in my mouth broadside. I bashed him into the side of his tank. The shark was stunned. I demorphed and acquired him.

  
  


"You know, David, the answer to everything isn't always brute force." Tobias said.

  
  


"Yeah, your policy of if-it-looks-like-it-can-kill me-morph-something-bigger-and-just-cudgel-my-way-to-victory will probably get you killed." Marco added.

  
  


"You worry too much." I said.

  
  
  
  


That night, I made a call from a pay phone. Soon, a police officer arrived at the scene.

  
  


"Hello?" The officer shouting, waving his flashlight in search of the person who made the call "We got a call about a monster?"

  
  


"Yes sir." I said in my best little-kid voice, while hiding in the trees. "They had horns and blades everywhere."

  
  


"Well, don't worry. That Hork-Bajir won't hurt you."

  
  


"Hork-Bajir?" I said, dropping the little-kid pretense. I then did a quick morph. Aren't we knowledgeable in the monster department? 

  
  


I dropped down from the trees and knocked him out with my brute strength. _Man, I love this hork-bajir morph._

  
  


I acquired the police officer. An African male my size. I dressed up in his uniform. I took his car. I drove to my house. My parents were home. I knocked on the door. My father answered.

  
  


"Mr. Hunting?"

  
  


"Yes."

  
  


"We have some information about your missing son. May I come in?"

  
  


"Oh, yes, officer, come right in." My father said with fake concern. He went and got my mother. I walked in and stood by the stairs.

  
  


"What can you tell us about our baby?" My mother said. Ick. My mother never called me baby.

  
  


"He's pretty good." I said as I pulled out my gun and shot my father's right arm and legs. My mother, startled, ran for the kitchen. I shot her in her leg. I demorphed.

  
  


"Hello, father." I said as I peered over him.

  
  


"David! What the hell, do you think you're doing, son?"

  
  


"Tell me your name."

  
  


"It's me. James Hunting, your father!"

  
  


I bared my forearm. I morphed my forearm into a lion's claw. I swiped my father's face. "Wrong answer." I put one claw-nail to my father's throat. "Tell me your name, yeerk."

  
  


My father's eyes looked into mine. "Covar One-Nine-Nine."

  
  


I looked at my mother. "And you?!"

  
  


"Zilnay Eight-Three-Eight!!!" She shouted quickly.

  
  


"I swear to God, I'll free you both someday. But not today."

  
  


I went upstairs and got Megadeth and my journal. Both of them gifts from Stephanie. I left my parents. Shot and bleeding. 

  
  


I couldn't tell you why I did it. Put it was something I felt I had to do. I have their names now. Covar and Zilnay. They will pay dearly. They are just soldiers following orders, I know, but every action done by a sentient person is of their own free will. Like Jake said. It was their choice to enslave my parents. Given the alternative, I don't think I would have done differently. But, it was their choice, nonetheless, and they will pay.

  
  


When you chose an action. You chose the consequences of that action. Every action has consequences.

  
  


I looked back one last time at my old home.

  
  


Every action.


	15. Consequences

**__**

April 3, 199910:00 AM

It has been two weeks since our last mission. My first mission. Since I live in forest now, I decided I should acquire a lot of forest animals. I also mastered the Frolis Maneuver. I acquired a composite human morph from Jake, Rachel, Marco, and Cassie's DNA. Aximili had done the same a year ago, so I basically looked like his brother. I concentrated on acquiring Jake's height and broadness, Rachel and Marco's conventional beauty, and Cassie and Marco's skin tone. I was tall, dark, _and_ handsome. 

I also helped Aximili build his scoop. Well, scoop/human dwelling as Aximili calls it. We brought in a bed for me, litter box for Megadeth, TV with free cable, computer, a lot of human stuff. 

Aximili loves TV. Almost to the point of an obsession. It's kind of scary. He keeps repeating commercial slogans. It's very annoying. Worst of all, Tobias uses it to watch _The Young and the Restless_. 

I hate soaps.

So, afternoons I spent trying to acquire forest animals. I used to use my lion morph, but then I freaked out a hunter. Since then, I used a wolf morph I acquired.

But this was Saturday morning. Which meant one thing was on my mind.

Cartoons.

_Pokémon_? Aximili asked me.

"Crap."

_Johnny Bravo_?

"Crap."

_Pepper Ann_?

"Major-crap!"

_Rugrats_?

"Ooh. Turn it up."

It was a classic. Tommy was in day-care. They see it of course like a prison. It was one of my favorites. And of course, Tobias ruined it.

David?

"Yes?"

We need to see you.

"What the hell for?"

Just come.

You know that feeling like you did something wrong, but you don't know what. I hate that. I was flying to Tobias' meadow. I knew the others were waiting for me. We flew over a family having a picnic.

That's nice. Isn't it? Kids spending time with their families. Tobias wondered aloud.

Is this why I had to come down here? Is this why I had to miss my fucking cartoons? Because of your obsession with Kodak moments?

Tobias didn't answer as we arrived at his meadow. Jake, Rachel, and Marco were waiting for me.

Cassie wasn't there. I demorphed.

"Hello, David." Jake greeted.

"Hello, dear." 

"You mind explaining what this is?" Jake said handing me a photograph. The photograph was of my father. He was in a wheel chair. He also had large bandages on his face.

"This is a photograph. Using a camera, when light interacts with–"

"What it's of, smartass." Marco said. "That's your father isn't it?"

"How'd you get this?" I asked ignoring him.

"We follow known controllers, David. It's what we do." By 'we' he meant 'Tobias'. I shot him a look of betrayal.

What would you have me do, David? Tobias protested. If you're attacking Yeerks on your own, we all need to know about it.

"This is your father, isn't it?" Jake asked before Tobias was done speaking. Tobias must have kept his comment private. 

"In a way."

"'In a way'?"

"Just like in a way, that is your mother, Marco. Or your brother, Jake."

"Did you do this to him?"

"It, Jake. Yes, I did that to _it_."

"He's still your father, you psycho!" Rachel yelled at me.

I laughed slightly, then held up an imaginary phone receiver. I pretended to dial. "Hello, Kettle? This is Pot. You're black."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, you are one to talk. Tobias is kind, but Aximili gives rather candid and unbiased reports of your past deeds." Which of course, was slightly untrue. Everyone has bias, but relatively, Aximili was unbiased in his reports.

"So?"

"I think you're a penis short of Attila the Hun. Tobias told me that your relationship with your father isn't that great."

"He's away a lot. On a different coast. Our relationship is just fine!" Rachel yelled defensively.

"You're a textbook nymphomaniac."

"EXCUSE ME??!"

"Yeah. But, instead of sex, you have violence. Which I guess is prudence on your part. The latter has a better chance of killing you, albeit slightly, but it will do it faster."

Rachel face went into several contortions of anger, surprise, and rage, at the end of which she just sat down and seethed. Jake looked furious at me. Marco tried to be mad at me, but he was too busy trying not to laugh.

I didn't think it was so funny.

Neither did Jake. "Lashing out us and your parents is not going to improve your station in life. Why'd you do it?"

"What?"

"I want to know why you did it." Jake said. "Look at me, mister."

FLASH!

__

I'm seven years old again.

"Look at me, mister." My father said. "Why did you take those cookies? Why did you take the cookies that were supposed to be for the three of us plus your aunt, uncle, and little cousins."

"Well . . . . I . . ." I said looking at the ground.

"Look at me." My father said lifting my chin up so I looked into his eyes.

"I . . ."

"What?"

"David Hunting. Civilian. Social Security Number 326-07-6755" I said turning my face from him.

"You're not a prisoner of war, David!" My father yelled in his angry/exasperated tone. The tone he uses when I turn his military protocols against him.

"David Hunting. Civilian. Social Security Number 326-07-6755"

"You're confined to quarters until further notice. Go."

I went to room and sat down on my bed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sheets. "Why can't you say 'Go to your room' like a normal parent?!" I shouted at no one.

"Well?"

"What?" I asked, disoriented.

"Why did you do it?!" Jake, not my father, demanded.

"Leave me alone."

"Why?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW WHY I FUCKING DID IT, OKAY?!!!"

They just kind of stared at me. 

"I want to talk to Cassie."

"Hmph! I'm sure." Marco blurted.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I yelled as I shot a look at Marco. Did he suspect . . . ? Nah, how could he? I never show any hint around them. He can't possibly know that I'm in love with her.

I looked at Jake. He shoot an equally suspicious look at Marco, then glanced it over to me.

"I'm out." I simply said as I left. 

"Come back here." Jake said as he grabbed my arm. But my arm shriveled and shrank out of his grip. My other arm also shrank. My wings popped out and knocked Jake on his ass. Beak. Talons. Feathers. When I was fully eagle, I took off. I headed for Cassie's barn.

Let him be. He just wants to talk with her. I heard Tobias say. He's just hoping she'll understand him. He isn't the only one who goes to her for solace.

They were talking about me. Tobias was still letting me hear their part of the conversation.

So does Ax, Jake. Tobias said in reply to something. Are going to suspect him too?

FLASH!

__

"How'd it go?" Stephanie asked me.

"The usual."

"Ooh. That bad, huh? What did he say?"

"'What do you mean you're going quit ROTC?' 'It's good for you, boy.' 'Teach you some discipline!'"

"Is that bad? It's the same thing your Karate Senser says."

"I think you mean, Sensei, and yes. But Sensei says discipline comes from within. The Rot-c's on the other hand would rather that discipline be forced feed to them in the form of some oppressive authority structure."

__

"Is that all?" Stephanie says, not really buying my bullshit.

I sighed in resignation. "To tell you the truth, I don't know why I did it. It just felt like something I had to do. I don't understand it myself."

"That's okay. I understand."

"You do?" I said, sidling up to her.

"Yes, you really don't like having a general for a father."

"What?!" I said surprised. "He's not a general, he's an agent."

"He was a general before he was an agent, right?"

I was getting flustered. She was accusing me of not loving my father, just because he was military. "What are you getting at?"

"David, I know you love your father."

"Of course, I do. I'm Irish Catholic."

"But I don't think you like him very much."

Talk about your splash of cold water. "How is it you know so much about me?"

"Because I love you."

"I thought it was because you're Sigmund Freud."

"Actually, I think I'm more like Carl Jung." She said pronouncing Jung like it looks.

"It's pronounced 'Yun'"

"Smarty-pants."

I couldn't talk to Stephanie. So I called on Cassie.

Cassie? I called out as I landed.

"It's safe, David. The barn's empty."

I demorphed and walked in. 

"What's wrong?"

"Czar Berenson is after me again."

"He justs wants to know why you did it, David." Cassie said, nonchalantly as she bandaged a goose.

"Aw, fuck. You've seen it too?"

"You put him in a wheelchair. He's missing half his face. Why would you do that to your father?"

"I did it to a Yeerk."

"You did it to your father. Why would you do it to _anyone_, let alone your father?"

And there it was. The source of all my confusion.

"I don't know why I did it. It just felt like something I had to do. I admit, what I did was a little . . ."

"Unfeeling and cruel?" Cassie supplied.

"Oh, thank you." I said sarcastically.

Cassie threw down the bandage she was working on. "David, I'm just trying to understand you, that's all. I mean, you seem to be a nice guy in war you didn't want to be a part of, but then you do something like this. I don't get it, David. What's going on in your head?" she said, touching my head.

"What do think? What do your instincts tell you?" 

"I think you have some issues with your father. It's almost like . . ."

"I hate him?"

She got that sympathetic look in her eyes again. "You know you don't hate him, David. But I do think you have some issues that you need to work out with him. And now, because of the Yeerk . . ."

"Covar One-Nine-Nine."

"You got his name?"

"Yeah."

"Well, because of Covar, you can't work out those issues. It's almost like he died." She said. "That's why you had to get his name. You wanted to know the name of the person who 'killed' your father. That's why you want to kill Visser Three."

The feeling of cold water again. Déjà vu. "How is it that you know so much about me?"

Cassie just shrugged her shoulders. "Marco says I'm Sigmund Freud."

"Not Carl _Jung_?"

"I thought it was Carl Jung."

"It's pronounced _Jung_."

"Well aren't you the smart-alec." She said playfully hitting me.

I grabbed her arm and kissed her. 

She didn't exactly kiss me back, but she didn't pull away either.

I let go, and she looked at me with shock and worry in her eyes. Not exactly the expression I was looking for. She fidgeted with her hands. Then left. "I have to go." She simply said. I watched her walk back into her house.

I leaned against the wall and slid down. "What the fuck am I doing?" I muttered. I looked to my right and noticed a raccoon staring at me. 

"What are you looking at?" I asked him.

****

A very confused young boy. Said a voice deep in my head. And outside my head. And everywhere at once. And no where at once. Well, if I wasn't confused, I sure was now.

"What the hell??"

****

Which confuses _me_, because I'm supposed to be looking at a rat.

"Who are you calling 'rat'?! Oversized, talking rodent!"

****

Ha Ha Ha Ha. Do you really think I am mearly a raccoon who can speak? The raccoon said as it walked through the cage bars. **I am much more as you will soon see. As your friends already know.**

"Who are you?" I asked.

The raccon changed form. It appeared as a _he_. He became human-sized and human-shaped. He seemed to be wearing a suit of steel armor. He wore no helmet. Only a crystal headband. He had white hair with a young face. Like my face. 

He spoke with a human voice. "I am Ellimist."


	16. Dang Dayangs

Hello my adoring fans.

Just want to make this clear. If you see asterisks before and after a quotation, it means translated speech.

***********************************************************************************  
**_April 3, 1999 12:01 PM_**

  


"You gave Tobias his powers back." I said, remembering something Marco told me. "You also like kinda told them where to find the Kandrona. You're the interloper."

"We don't interfere with other species."

"'We'? Whose 'we'?" I asked.

The Ellimist just smiled at me. "This is not as it should be. You should be a rat. I am concerned."

"You keep saying that. What the hell does that mean?"

He looked at me. "You were supposed to betray the Animorphs. They were supposed to trap you as a rat and leave you on an island. Something has changed."

His words had little sting. In the last ten minutes, I had been rebuked by Cassie, then introduced to a being I didn't quite understand. I was pretty much numb to his words of a future that was supposed to be mine.

"¿Como sabes qué serrá?"

"I don't. I only know what will probably be. Cassie was not supposed to stop you. You were supposed to run out. That event was supposed to cause a chain reaction that led to you betraying the animorphs, resulting in your defeat. Something happened. Not only did she stop you, but you also fell in love with her. This will complicate something, I'm not sure what." The being that had been described to me as omnipotent was soon becoming increasingly flustered. "The impasse. You will complicate the impasse. Your survival may cost the Iskoort world and many others."

"Hey!" I shouted. "What the fuck are you talking about??!!"

"You must be tested."

"Excuse me?"

"I have to know if your survival is good. In a way it is already good. As you were supposed to be, you opened yourself up to becoming a tool for him."

"Him, who?"

"You must be tested."

"I don't give a flying fig!" I shouted. "Tested how?"

"Vak! Irk vin talik!" A strange creature said. 

"Naga vo keepin." A second creature said.

"Vistay, obo-la."

All of the sudden I was not in Cassie's barn. I was in bright hallway with white steel walls.

"What the hell's going on?! Ellimist."

****

This is the Test. You will be given a choice, choose wisely and you will be allowed to return home.

I looked at the two creatures staring at me. They were weird looking. They seemed to be made of two parts. One part, was a horizontal bar, each end ending with two appendages. There was clearly a front and a back as the front had arm-like appendages that could be used as legs, but they ended in six-fingered (five fingers plus an opposable thumb), nimble hands. The back legs were shorter and sturdier. Only the 'thumb' and two of the fingers seemed to be useful. Three of the fingers were vestigial. 

The second part was rather humanoid. A chest with two arms. These hands were four-fingered. (Three fingers with one opposable thumb.) They also had four thin tentacles moving wildly out of their back. Their heads were almost canine. They had a muzzle with many teeth. Molars, incisors, and canines. Omnivorous. There was hope. Their ears looked like satellite dishes on the sides of their heads. They had three eyes. The two outer ones were simple eyes, green with a lighter green iris. The middle eye was a red compound eye. Their skin was various shades of brown all over. One of the creatures had brown hair all over his top arms and the top of his head. The second had blue hair in those places.

The weirdest thing about these creatures was that the top half often slid back and forth on the bottom half. The top half appeared to rest in the middle, but they could move it all the way to the back or all the way to the front. It looked very strange.

"Nikkum Nikkum." Said the blue haired one.

"Flexum pusa, mordant." Said the brown haired one.

"Listen, I don't know what you guys are, but can I get a translator in here, please?"

"Nikkum Nikkum!" said the blue one

"Flexum!" said the brown one.

"Kan frab'g!" said a deep new voice. I turned my head and saw a red-haired creature. His arms and shoulders were thicker than the two smaller creatures that spoke to me. He also had a cloth armband with a golden crescent. His tentacles were still and erect. The two creatures also turned around. They turned their upper bodies 360 degrees around. Creepy. "Irk vin talik!"

"Ibpsa!" said the blue one.

"Ogla norba. Va yello. Drusa?" said the brown one.

"Yi" said the red one.

Blue and Brown grabbed me with their upper arms. One of each one's lower arms grabbed either leg. They took me somewhere. 

"Where are you taking me? Put me down. Ellimist!!! Get me out of here!!!"

They took to another red hair. The last thing I remember after that was a dome device put over my mouth.

I woke up what seemed like hours later.

"Labin ifka?" asked the red-haired creature who knocked me out. 

"Yeah, thanks. What did you do to me?" I answered, but then I realized, "I understood you. You said 'Labin ifka?' which means 'feeling better?'."

"*Yes. I see the translator implantation was a success. We've never seen one of you creatures before. You're lucky the Skrit Na had abducted several of your species in the past. They had quite detailed files of your species in the medical databases they sold us.*"

"What?"

"*Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you're a little disoriented.*" The creature said as he slid his top half all the forward. "*My name is Cleric and Scientific Doctor Orbin Vaker-132. What is your name?*"

"David Hunting."

"*What an odd name. No numbers. Is David Hunting that unique a name?*"

"Not really."

"*Hmm*" Cleric Dr. Orbin said as he slid his top to the middle.

"Excuse me. Don't take this the wrong way, but . . . What are you?"

"*You mean the name of my species? Ah. We are the Dayangs. You probably want to know where you are too. You are aboard a spaceship. This is the Dayang Trader _Rogin Gavic_.*"

"That means Star Skull." I realized.

"*Yes, well, I didn't name the ship.*" Dr. Orbin admitted. "*The majority of my people cannot see the difference between warriors and merchants.*"

The door slid open and the red-haired dayang that I had encountered before came in with the blue and brown haired dayangs. The red-haired dayang kept his top half in perfect middle. The two smaller ones were slid all the way back.

"*How is the creature?*" said Big Red-hair

"The _creature_ is just fine." I said annoyed. "Who are you?"

"*I am First Mate Hollin Stershin-198. Behave yourself, alien. How did you get on my ship?*"

"I just kind of arrived."

"*Picum? You saw it arrive. How'd it get on board?*"

The blue haired one stepped forward and slid his top half almost all the way forward. "*It was like ZAF! He was there. All of the sudden.*"

"*Erko?*"

The brown haired one stepped forward but kept his top half back. "*I was turned around. I didn't see him show up. Then I heard Picum talking to someone. I turned around and saw the creature. I decided I would try to talk to it too. Its language was in our translator's memory banks. It asked for a translator, but I don't think it understood where it was. It was not happy when we brought it to Dr. Orbin.*"

"I'm a _he_, okay?? Not an _it_!"

"*My studies show that this creature is a male homo-sapien from Terra Firma,*" said Dr. Orbin, "*but he probably will refer to himself as a human from Earth.*"

"*Ah, yes. Homo-sapiens, the splintered species.*" First Mate Hollin said.

"Excuse me, splintered?" I asked.

"*Yes. Most species have one language, one name for their planet.*" Dr. Orbin said. "*You homo-sapiens, or humans, do not. We refer to you as such because the Skrit Na databanks have concluded that if there is a single planetary language it would be the Latin language used by your scientist and artists the world over. The Latin word for your species is--*"

"I know what it is." 

"*Doctor, may I see you in private?*" First Mate Hollin said. The Doctor's tentacles tapped his chest twice, which my translator interpreted as a 'yes' gesture. "*Privates? Guard our guest.*"

"*Please stay in here. I will return shortly.*" Dr. Orbin requested.

As nice as the good doctor was, I wasn't just about to stick around. I wanted answers. The First Mate was being very secretive. I wanted to know why. After Hollin and Orbin left. Picum and Erko gave me one last warning before turning their backs on me and leaving the room. Amateurs. I was a cockroach in their arm hair, before they lazily shut the door behind them with their tentacles, not even looking if I were still there. 

"*Picum. Erko. Make sure the homo-sapien does not escape. I have heard they are a dangerous bunch.*" said Hollin. I could still translate. Even in morph. I followed the First Mate and doctor to a small room across the hall. 

"*The Homo-sapiens are one of the species that the Yeerks are attempting to conquer. He must be careful. That project you and Dr. Klika Rowach-468 are working on. Is it finished?*"

"*Almost.*"

"*The homo-sapiens are unaware of alien life. This homo-sapien now knows otherwise, but he can't be told about the Yeerks. We must remain noninvolved in any conquest made by the Yeerk Empire. That includes no involvement with the Andalites or any other resisting aliens, and believe me doctor. I have read accounts of the Yeerk conquest on Terra Firma. These aliens are resistant to say the least.*"

"*First Mate Hollin, I think it's too late for that." Dr. Orbin started. "*I took a blood sample. It shows traces of Andalite biotechnology.*"

"*How's that possible?*"

"*There was one Yeerk-Andalite battle for Terra Firma. There, the Dome ship _GalaxyTree_ faced a large Yeerk force, single-handedly. It was decimated. Survivors who were picked up by the _StarGrass_ say that three fighters and the dome of the ship all crashed on the eastern shore of one of the continents. That left four Andalite warriors unaccounted for. Commander Gafinilian-Estrif-Valad, Prince Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul, Warrior Mertil-Iscar-Elmand, and Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil. Elfangor has been confirmed dead, but the other three have not. In fact, Aximili has been confirmed alive, but I believe the other two are also alive.*"

"*Why is that?*"

"*Because. They are accounts of a small group of Andalite warriors harassing the Yeerks in the same area that the three fighters and the dome all crashed. There's just one little thing.*"

"*What's that?"

"*Many of the accounts list a group of six.*"

"*But only three andalites survived, and even that number is an optimistic speculation. Who are the other three?*"

"*Sir, I believe that the homo sapien, could be one of these Andalite guerrillas.*"

"*That's impossible. The Andalites have a law. It's called Seerow's Kindness.*"

"*How else do you explain the presence of Andalite biotechnology?*"

"*Perhaps it is a failed Quantum Virus. The Andalites didn't want six billion bodies to go to the Yeerks, so they attempted to wipe them out.*"

"*Sir, we would have heard about such an atrocity. We did when they tried the same thing on the Hork-Bajir three decades ago.*"

"*They only other thing it could be would be the morphing technology. The crown jewel of their war-science. Do you really believe they would share it with homo sapiens?*"

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I said as I demorphed.

"*What the . . . ?! Picum! Erko!*"

The two dayangs entered. Their top halves slid quickly to the back after seeing me demorph. Their tentacles went wild, a gesture of surprise and panic. By now, I picked up on the fact that Picum was prone to panic. Erko tried to call him down.

"*He was there. But now here! What damnation!*" Picum babbled.

"*Will you shut up?!*" Erko berated.

"I can't let you live, Hollin. They know about me, but I won't let you expose my friends." I said as I morphed to Hork-Bajir.

"*We are not involved in the war, Dovin.*" Dr. Orbin said, mispronouncing my name and wrapping his tentacles around his body, a gesture of peace.

"David." I corrected in Ursa Wulvef's gruff voice. "And what if you get infested?"

"*We are a class one species.*" said First Mate Hollin. "*We are incapable of infestation. We have no ear canals, and our brains are a meter long, starting from the Secant Tip, where our top half meets the bottom half, to the Superior Motor strip running up our backs to the Sensory Lobe in our heads.*"

I calmed down after that. I remained in morph.

"*Perhaps it is better this way.*" Hollin said. "*If you can morph, then you can acquire Picum or Erko and replace him on his duties.*"

Better yet, I can do a Frolis Maneuver and make an original dayang morph from bits and pieces of DNA from the four of you.

"*Very well. You will be a private and accompany Erko and Picum with their duties.*"

If it's all the same to you, I'd rather go with Dr. Orbin as his assistant.

Hollin's top half slid forward so fast that he was leaning after the slide. His tentacles flared like snakes, a gesture of anger. "*I didn't give you a choice, alien!*"

I put a blade behind his 'Secant Tip' as he called it. One move and I would have severed his brain in two pieces. 

"*You learn quickly, homo sapien. Dr. Orbin, the alien is yours.*"

I used bits of Picum, Erko, Hollin, and Orbin. I was Hollin's build, but I was closer to Orbin's size, making me bigger still than Picum or Erko. Erko had the longest tentacles, so I got those. I tried to get Picum's blue fur, but it came out green. Orbin told me it had something to do with a crucial gene. We assured me that green was more common than blue, and I had nothing to be worried about. He was right of course. As I made my way to Klika's lab with Orbin, I passed three green-haired dayangs and no blue-haired ones. The majority of dayangs were brown, black, or red-haired.

Dr. Orbin also gave me a device to put in my mouth. I would be spouting out the Dayang language (which for some reason is called Draque) instead of English. Dr. Orbin warned me though to be careful of idioms. While the translator in my head correctly translated dayang idioms and will correctly translate idioms of any other language, the speech synthesizer will translate such expressions literally.

Orbin and I met up with Klika. She had black hair. Being in Dayang morph, I could tell she was female and that she was moderately attractive, but my human sensibilities could truly not tell the difference.

The 'lab' that I was in was actually a large hanger. In the hanger was what Orbin described as an alien spaceship. The ship was found floating in space three months ago. No life signs detected. No DNA found either. Since then Klika and Orbin have been trying to get inside the ship. No such luck.

Apparently, not only is Orbin a cleric or medical doctor, but also a leading research scientist on Gianna Draquen, the Dayang home planet.

"*He's welcome to help. We need it." Klika said upon meeting me.

"*Thank you.*" I said in Draque. Oh, by the way, I privately thought-spoke to Orbin, remind me to excuse myself in ninety-five minutes.

Orbin twisted two tentacles together, a gesture for 'huh?'

I have to demorph and remorph or I'm a dayang forever.

"*What's your name, by the way?*" Klika asked me.

Shit! Quick! Give me a name, Orbin.

"*This is Dovineer Huuntii-045.*" Orbin said quickly.

"*Forty-five, huh? You're practically royalty.*" Klika commented.

What? I privately asked 

Orbin rubbed his thumb on his middle finger. A gesture for 'never mind'.

"*Maybe he can figure this thing out.*" Klika said.

"*Why? What are you working on?*" I asked.

"*To be perfectly honest, we don't know.*" Orbin admitted. "*We found this thing, and we were hoping to solve it.*"

"*Yeah, so far we can't even open it.*" Klika complained.

I looked at the ship. It looked kind of like the Blade ship, but it was pink and green, and the wings were rounded, not sharp. 

I put my hand on the ship and started feeling for an opening. I managed to cut my self on a piece of metal.

Son of a bitch! I yelled.

Just then, purple lights appeared all over the ship. 

"*What happened?*" Klika yelled.

"*What did you do, Dovineer?*"

"*I didn't do anything.*"

"*What did you do?*"

I didn't do, shit! I yelled at him privately.

Thought-speech detected. Dormant mode disengaged. a computerized thought-speech voice replied. The voice came from the computer!

"*Thought-speech?*" Klika wondered. "*Where's the thought-speech coming from?*"

Orbin looked at me. His simple eyes narrowed and his compound eye darkened, the mixed expression conveyed worry and exasperation. "*Twenty minutes. That's all it took. Twenty minutes for everything to mess up.*"

"*I think it's malfunctioning. One of my tentacles knocked over some kind of doo-hicky-thing*" I supplied.

"*Doo-hickey?*" Klika wondered.

"*Dovineer is from Lamdald. It's one of their words for a piece of technology they don't understand.*" Orbin said, once again covering my ass.

"*Don't understand?*" 

"*Well, _he_ understands it just fine. He graduated from C.L.I.T. in the top 20 of his class.*"

I graduated from _where_?

"*Orbin, I hope you know what you're doing.*" Klika started. Her top half slid all the way forward. Her face was losing color and her tentacles were starting to quiver. "*I don't care if he is cute. That bumpkin could be trouble.*"

"*I'm standing right here!*" I complained. "*Wait, you think I'm cute?*"

"*You're getting emotional, Klika maybe you should rest.*"

Klika's tentacles stopped quivering and her top half slid back to the middle. Her face was still paler though. "*Fine. I'll be in my quarters if you need me.*" 

After Klika left, Orbin looked at me. His compound eye was bright red again and his simple eyes were intense and his tentacles were flaring. He was angry.

"*That went well!*" He said, rather more calmly then his body suggested. 

"*She thinks I'm cute.*" 

"*The females of our species are susceptible to exaggerated emotions brought upon by hormones.*"

"*Yeah, ours too.*" I commented. "*She also called me a bumpkin, what's up with that?*"

"*I said you were from Lamdald. The people there are very anti-technology. Very religious.*"

"*What is this about me graduating from C.L.I.T.*"

"*The Cindre Liript Institution of Technology, the most prestigious technical university on Gianna Draquen.*"

"*Oh. I guess that's all right.*"

"*Your thought-speech activated something. Try speaking to it again.*"

"*Worth a shot.*" I said. Hey, ship! Hello? Activate! Do something! Maybe I should try 'Open Sesame'.

Password Needed. said the ship.

I just said 'Open Sesame'!

Incorrect password. Password needed.

Ah, Flying Figs!

Password accepted. Welcome Doctor Kryston.

On the port side of the ship, a door opened. Orbin and I walked to it.

"*Well, I'll be damned.*"

"*You should demorph, David.*" Dr. Orbin reminded me. "*Follow me in.*"

I demorphed and nearly choked on the speech synthesizer. I walked into the ship. "Hey Orbin, remind me next time to remove the speech synthesizer before demorphing, I nearly choked on the damn thing."

"*Look at this.*" Dr. Orbin said clearly ignoring me.

The inside of the ship was a very lush green. There were plants everywhere. Alien plants. Beautiful still. No more or less beautiful then the plants on Earth (or Terra Firma), but beautiful just the same. We found a plant that shoots its fruit out of pods. The small, purplish fruit would hover with the help of helicopter-blade-like leaves. 

"*What do you suppose those are?*" Dr. Orbin asked me in reference to the hovering fruit.

"My guess is," I started, "a flying fig!"

We found what we believed to be the bridge. Dr. Orbin touched something and activated the View screen. 

On the view screen was an image of a creature. This creature was green. It hovered in the air with its six gossamer wings. It had two arms, but each arm split at the elbow giving it two more half-arms, each ending in a five-fingered (four to one) opposable hand. It had a torso and a head that had six eyes. A mouth and two short antenna. Five tendrils waved from the back and top of its head. It had a single tendril coming down from his waist that split into three tendrils each covered in short spikes.

The image we were seeing was, according to Orbin, a journal entry dated almost three decades ago. What we saw was chaos.

I'm afraid we have failed. the creature on the view screen said as it emitted beautiful, mournful vocalization from its mouth. Our attempts to restore this machine that we believe to have once belonged to the mythical Pemalites in the privacy and solitude of deep space were interrupted by our accidental meeting with the aliens called Andalites. My partner, Ceri Bumeros Gafaustus, has fled with our time displacement technology and a blue object the Andalites called an Escafil device. I believe I will be arrested and executed by these blue devils. I leave this message in the vain wish that it will reach my home planet. However, even if an alien does somehow receive this message, I leave this. 

Ceri Bumeros Gafaustus is dangerous. If you come across a planet that seems to be rotating beyond control, do not worry. It is just our Time Displacement technology. You can safely land on the planet. Do so, and stop Ceri Bumeros Gafaustus. By the time this message is found, tens of thousands of years will have probably past on the planet that Ceri has landed, but he will still be alive. Trust me. You must stop him. You mus— 

"*It is over.*" Dr. Orbin said finally. "*What could this possibly mean?*"

"I have no idea." I admitted. "I wonder if these creatures have anything to do with my test."

"*Test?*"

"That's why I'm here. I'm being tested by a being called the Ellimist."

Dr. Orbin laughed at me. "*There is no such thing as the Ellimist.*"

"Yeah, we'll see."

We explored some more. Klika joined us and I had to morph to dayang again. In fact, it was Klika how found it.

"*Dr. Orbin! Dovineer! Look.*" She said, pointing to a tree. "*This tree's DNA is substantially different from the other fauna. I believe it is alien to these creatures. *"

Orbin and I circled around the tree.

"*Look.*" Orbin said. "*A numerical keypad.*"

"*It's coded.*" Klika concluded. "*Ok, Sweet Tentacles, pick a number between one and a million."

"*657,943*" I said randomly. The tree started to open. "*Whoa! I'm 2 for 2 today.*"

"*I only pressed the six!*" Klika said surprised.

In the tree, rested what at first appeared to be an alien, but was actually a machine. A machine of steel and ivory.

"*What is that?*" Klika asked.

"*I haven't an idea.*" Orbin said. "Do you, Dovineer?"

I had only seen one before, but I could not have mistaken it.

"*I don't know what that doo-hickey is.*" I said.

I knew exactly what it was. Dr. Orbin didn't believe me. I don't blame him, the machine looked humanoid, but the humans had nothing to do with this machine.

This machine was a Chee.

******************************************************************************************************

By the way, "¿Como sabes qué serrá?" means "How do you know what will be?"


	17. War and Business

  
  
  
  


**_April 3, 19993:39 PM_**

  
  
  
  


"*Two arms. Two legs. Head. Body.*" Klika said. "*Not much to this creature is there?*"

  
  


"*It doesn't seem to be operational.*" I said, pretending to be fascinated as apposed to scared shitless. 

  
  


"*It's smashed. It won't work. Look.*" Orbin concluded and pointed to the Chee's head. "*As a cleric, my diagnosis is massive head trauma.*"

  
  


"*Orbin, this thing isn't alive.*" Klika teased.

  
  


"*No argument there, Klika. My question is to weather to classify this as non-living or dead.*" Orbin said as he removed a steel plate, handing it to Klika, and an ivory plate, handing it to me.

  
  


Klika picked hers up with her bottom arms, which handed it to her tentacles which handed it to her main arms. She looked at it closely.

  
  


"*This is organic metal!*" Klika observed.

  
  


"*This plate looks like ivory.*" I said.

  
  


"*Ivory that was once alive.*" Orbin argued. 

  
  


"*So, in essence, this was a living machine.*" Klika summarized. "*Fascinating!*"

  
  


This is way I try not to hang around with scientists.

  
  


"*Look at the circuitry inside.*" I said. "*You can see the CPU at the base of the skull plates with a bundle of wires that appear to made of some preserved vegetive material. The wire bundle leads down the spine to where I'm sure most of the motor and communication functions are processed and carried out. It is almost as if this machine was based on an actual living creature. It's engineered the same why. It's amazing.*"

  
  


"*Look at this structure.*" Klika said. "*It looks like it was designed for a gravity of 40 nepegs. It must be incredible strong.*"

  
  


"*What's its power source?*" I asked.

  
  


"*I think its. . . .*" Orbin said dubiously. "*Yes! It is. Geothermic energy! That's why it couldn't repair itself. It was away from a planet.*"

  
  


"*A machine that feeds off of geothermic energy. Maybe it's Leeran.*" Klika theorized.

  
  


"*The creature in the video file said this machine belonged to the Pemalites. Is that right, Dovineer?*"

  
  


"*Yes.*" I said. "*But the creature referred to the Pemalites as_ mythical_ beasts. Maybe they actually never existed, and these machines were created by something else.*" I said, despite the fact I knew for a fact that the Pemalites did at one point exist. 

  
  


"*This is one amazing android. This thing is the most advanced piece of technology I have ever seen. I mean, never have I see anything like it! Never!*" Orbin said, getting hysterical. "*I mean, this is like nothing I've ever seen.*"

  
  


"*You've said that.*" I said.

  
  


"*You don't understand, Davi . . . Dovineer. I mean, this thing is totally different. Organic spirit in an organic machine. It is absolutely amazing. This is way past anything the Yeerks or the Andalites have. This is going to make the Andalites look like Hork-Bajir! This is something we would have never thou--*"

  
  


"*Hey.*" I said to the hysterical scientist. "*Maybe we should take a break.*"

  
  


"*I think the Sexy Greenie is right.*" Klika agreed, giving me a rather demeaning nickname in the process. "*You're starting to get fanatical again. You should eat before you go on one of your research binges.*"

  
  


"*Yeah. Maybe you're right.*" Orbin said as he stepped reluctantly away from the damaged Chee. "*I'll just put it in the analyzer and we'll go eat.*"

  
  


"*Analyzer?*" I asked.

  
  


"*The C.L.I.T grad never used an analyzer?*" Klika said as her simple eyes narrowed and her compound eye got brighter in the middle, but darker everywhere else. (It was fascinating to watch. Weird as fuck.) She was suspicious.

  
  


"*Of course he's used a Chathu Perring Schematical Analyzer before. He's probably just never heard our short-hand term for it.*" Orbin explained, saving my ass once again. 

  
  


"*Yeah, how is it that you use all the slang terms for stuff, yet I'm the bumpkin?*" I quipped at her.

  
  


That may have been too far because Klika turned her head around and then one of her tentacles slapped me on the underside of my bottom half. 

  
  


Ok, that had to be sexual harassment! I thought-yelled at Orbin.

  
  


Orbin and Klika led me to the dining hall. Meanwhile, I tried to remember everything I knew about the Chee.

  
  


They were created by the Pemalites who were destroyed by the Howlers. They landed on Terra Firma around the plagues, but perished anyway. The Chee bonded their essence with cannis lycanis (or wolves), creating cannis domesticas (or dogs). The Chee have great strength because the Pemalite home world has a gravity four times stronger than Terra Firma's. They also had holographic powers that would shame Mysterio. These were powerful robots. But they were programed against violence. A Chee can never take a life. But this chee's memory banks are probably erased. If we get the chee functional again, we would have to reprogram it. If we don't put in the violence prohibition . . . . . 

  
  


"*We are here*" Klika said.

  
  


The weirdest thing about the dining hall was that it wasn't weird at all. All the dayangs got into a line and got what they wanted. Kind of like a school cafeteria. 

  
  


"*What are we serving, Rozix?*" Orbin asked one of the dayangs who was serving. In morph, I could easily tell Rozix was an elderly, unattractive female. Her brown hair was faded. Lunchladies are the same the universe over, apparently. 

  
  


"*We're serving Dibulob Tendril*" Rozix said in her rather raspy voice. Believe me. 'Val-ar skeegok dibulob jeekon' is not music to any ear. "*Baked or fried?*"

  
  


"*Baked*" Orbin told Rozix. Then to me, "Get the baked. Fried is bad for you."

  
  


"*Baked, please.*" I requested.

  
  


"*Me, too.*" Klika said. 

  
  


"*Fried for me.*" said a dayang I didn't know.

  
  


"*You know, Taban, I can hear your arteries clogging. Before your fifth decade, your tentacles are going to go limp and stiff, your fur will fall out and you'll have arthritis and b'piransitis.*"

  
  


"*When you're old and transparent, Klika, I'll still be fit as a firgeen.*" Taban teased as he followed us to our table and sat down. Dayang sitting involved resting the bottom half on a pillow. Almost as if our bottom halves were lying down. It was very relaxing. "*Whose the kid?*" Taban finally said.

  
  


"*That's Dovineer.* Klika said. "*He's from Lamdald, but he's a C.L.I.T graduate.*"

  
  


"*Went to C.L.I.T, eh? Not bad for a farm boy.*"

  
  


"*What are these?*" I asked of a food that I had that looked like the wings of a butterfly.

  
  


"*Lirachurn wings*" Orbin answered. Oh.

  
  


"*And these?*" I asked of something that was green, but looked like a little too much like Spawn.

  
  


"*What? The farm boy doesn't know jirems when he sees them. They're waved. That's why their green. It's our new-fangled way of cooking food.*" Taban teased. "*I'm sure in Lamdald they have some sophisticated art of spit roasting, but here we just wave it.*"

  
  


"*You mean microwave?*" I wondered aloud.

  
  


"*You're right, Klika. This guy's C.L.I.T material all right.*" Taban said as his tentacles started moving in wave patterns. He was laughing.

  
  


"*Just drink your Churka juice, Dovineer.*" Orbin said.

  
  


I drank it. It tasted very familiar. This is like a drink on Terra Firma called coffee. I said privately to Orbin.

  
  


Orbin answered me by lightly tapping the pillow with his bottom hands. Approval. I hate coffee. I informed him. I got up and got some water, but then I saw this blue stuff that all the people were going to. So I got some and started drinking. It was good. A little thick, but it tasted like some exotic fruit drink. I sat down and my lunchmates all stared at me.

  
  


"*What?*"

  
  


"*Farm boy, you do realize you're drinking mirgin sauce, right?*" Taban said. I looked at the other plates and found that most of the people were pouring the blue sauce over their dibulob tendrils. Others were also dipping the Lirachurn wings in them.

  
  


Now I know how Aximili feels. I saw him once eat whole packets of tabasco sauce from Taco Bell. Tobias told me it wasn't the first time he's done that. "*I like mirgin sauce.*" I finally said. 

  
  


The rest of lunch went without incident. Orbin kept trying to talk about the Chee. Klika and I wanted him to shut up. Taban wasn't even slightly interested. In fact, he spent most of them poking Klika with his tentacles. Flirting.

  
  


As we left, Klika got us some dessert. Something she called a goflit. She asked me if I wanted buzzen or dramnay fruit spread. I arbitrarily chose buzzen. The goflit appeared to be made of spherical bread covered completely on one hemispere with some kind of fruit spread. In my case, I chose the buzzen fruit. Whatever the hell a buzzen was. When I tried it, I was again taken by a familiar taste sensation. This time, it was the good kind.

  
  


This is a donut. I told Orbin, who I hoped was smart enough to realize that a donut was a snack on my planet. A good donut too. You have coffee. Why not donuts?

  
  
  
  


"*Hey, Orbin.*" Klika said as we got back to the lab. "*The analyzer is already finished. Look, we have detailed schematics of the machine. The analyzer usually takes hours. This is a new record.*"

  
  


Yeah, thanks, Ellimist. I said sarcastically to no one.

  
  


"*Amazing. Absolutely amazing.*" Orbin said. "*We can make our own machine and really see what it can do.*"

  
  


"*We can even mass produce these things.*" Klika suggested. "*With this super-strong structure, any army in the universe would love to get their hands on a weapon such as this.*"

  
  


That shook Orbin out of his funk. Shook me too. "*Wait a minute, weapon?*"

  
  


"*Of course, Orbin. We can sell this technology to any army and be set for life.*"

  
  


"*Hey, let's discuss this!*" I argued. I was not in favor of just selling off the Chee technology to just anyone. God knows who would get their hands on it.

  
  


"*Sweet tentacles, spare me your Lamdaldan rhetoric.*" Klika said. "*If Orbin's right, this is the score of a lifetime.*"

  
  


"*You really are merchants.*" I realized. They were a species of traders. Salesman. "*'My poverty but not my will consents.'*" I said quoting_ Romeo and Juliet_.

  
  


"*This neural net can access organic nets*" Klika theorized while looking at the schematics. "*You know who these machines would be perfect for?*"

  
  


"*Yeah, I do.*" Orbin reluctantly admitted, giving me a look. His red compound eye got darker and his green simple eyes narrowed. He was hiding something.

  
  


"*Who?*" I asked.

  
  


"*One of our more frequent clients.*" Klika said. "*Let's give him a call!*" she said with all the restraint of a cheerleader at a slumber party.

  
  


Who are we calling, Orbin??!!

  
  


"*I don't think this is such a good idea. We haven't even built a prototype. We should dissect or dismantle the first one.*" Orbin contested.

  
  


But it was too late. Klika started a transmission. We got a Hork-Bajir face on the monitor.

  
  


"*Hork-Bajir?*" I pondered aloud.

  
  


"*You know your aliens.*" Klika said amazed. "*But at what species are we _really_ talking to?*"

  
  


Oh. Hell no.

  
  


"*Dayang Traders? What do you want?*" The Hork-Bajir said in a language I now know as Galard. 

  
  


"*We got a proposition for your leader. May we speak with him?*" Klika asked in Galard very politely and bubbly.

  
  


With the Ellimist holding the pen, I should have known how this story was to end.

  
  


The Hork-Bajir complied and then his leader appeared. _He_ appeared.

  
  


Ah, HELL no!

  
  


What do you want Traders? the cruel thought-speech voice asked.

  
  


"*My name is Klika Rowach-468. This is Orbin Vaker-132 and Dovineer Huuntii-045. We have discovered information that will enable you and your empire to construct war machines that can be controlled by something organic. It will enable your Yeerks to control them just as you would a living creature. They are extremely powerful and open to possibilities.*"

  
  


Hell No! This was all my fault. If I never came on this ship, opened up the alien ship with my thought-speech, all this would never have happened. Damn you, Ellimist. Is this why you brought me here. To stumble upon the destruction of my planet. You've made your point I'm not supposed to be here!!! 

  
  


He didn't answer. Maybe it wasn't too late.

  
  


"*Visser?*" I said quickly. "*We believe their to be a few bugs in the system. We're working on it, but no system is perfect.*"

  
  


What did you say, worm?! You had better repeat that. In Galard, this time! The Visser roared accusingly at me. Fuck. I can't speak Galard. 

  
  


"*I apologize, Visser.*" Orbin said. "*My assistant is from the underdeveloped parts of my planet and doesn't know Galard. He merely said that you can come by and pick up a prototype and view a demonstration in three hours.*" 

  
  


"*That's not what I said!*" I shouted, uselessly. The Visser may not be able to understand Draque, but I know it can understand English. I started to remove my speech synthesizer. "*Fucking speech box!*"

  
  


I'll be there in three hours. If your claims are true Klika, then you and your entire crew will be handsomely rewarded.

  
  


"*Thank you, Visser.*" Klika said. The transmission ended just as I ripped the device out.

  
  


"Damnit!" I said.

  
  


"*Lamdald or not! A C.L.I.T graduate should know Galard!*" Klika shouted accusingly. Her top half has slid all the way forward and her tentacles were going wild. Her red eye also brightened a great deal. "*Who are you? Why are trying to sabotage this, Farm Boy?*"

  
  


"I do not deal with murderers!" I shouted.

  
  


"*What language are you speaking? What murderers? He's a Yeerk Visser! So what? He'll pay us greatly for this technology.*"

  
  


"He'll use it to enslave other species!"

  
  


"*Is it me? I don't see a problem. Orbin, explain!*"

  
  


"*Heh-heh. You know how Lamdaldans are.*" Orbin offered weakly.

  
  


"*Lamdaldan, my tentacles!*" Klika said. "*Who is he?*"

  
  


I started to demorph. "I am David Hunting! A Homo Sapien and enemy to the Yeerks. Especially the Yeerk named Visser Three!" I said as I became fully human. 

  
  


"*A homo sapien? Who can morph?*" Klika said as her top half slid all the way back.

  
  


"*David.*" Orbin said. "*This is what we do. We discover things and then we sell them to the highest bidder. The Yeerk Empire has always been generous to us, and with a technology like this, we'll get our own tropical moon, for sure. Maybe even a few Mak-controllers as servants. We'll never have to travel or work again.*"

  
  


"You guys are definitely more merchant than warrior." I spat bitterly. 

  
  


"*Listen, the truth is, we would have never done this without you.*" Klika said. "*You can be with us. After we get paid, it won't matter if you're a Dayang or a Homo sapien. You can live peacefully with us. Never having to fight a Yeerk again. If there is any one you want to save on Terra Firma, we can add them to our price?*"

  
  


That got me. "What?"

  
  


"*Have the Yeerks taken anyone you care about?*" Klika asked.

  
  


I could have lied. "My parents."

  
  


"Then we will say we want your parents plus a sanctuary as our price. It is as simple as that. It shouldn't be hard. Your species is the only known Class Five. Six billion people. I think the Empire can spare two. Two parents, right?*"

  
  


"Yeah, two."

  
  


"*Then it is settled.*" Klika said. 

  
  


"*You should rest, David. Klika and I will build the prototype.*" 

  
  


In the alien ship was a web of vines that swung like a hammock. I rested there. This is the decision, the choice, that Ellimist had planed for me. Somehow this will prove my worth. 

  
  


I can save my parents, but Terra Firma will be taken, without a doubt. With an army of Chee, nothing will stop Visser Three. Six billion people will be slaves to the Yeerks.

  
  


But what do I care about them? I only care about people who care about me.

  
  


But that list is longer than two people. Stephanie. Cassie. Jason. Aximili. Tobias. But Stephanie has her own list of people she would want saved. And Cassie, she would want to save Rachel, Marco, her parents, . . .

  
  


Jake.

  
  


All the Animorphs have people they want saved. Marco's mother is Visser One. They'll never agree to that!

  
  


And Cassie would never forgive me for taking her from the fight. Or from tearing her from her family. Stephanie too.

  
  


And I can't live without them. Maybe. I mean, what if I stay a Dayang forever. I saw how Klika looked at me. She didn't look half-bad to a Dayang.

  
  


The hell was I saying?! I am a human. Homo sapien. I fight for Earth. Terra Firma. I can't just take this easy way out.

  
  


But what choice did I have? Klika and Orbin are preparing the Prototype. If I putsch the whole deal, then the Visser will surely destroy the _Rogin Gavic_ and everyone aboard.

  
  


I didn't ask to come here. I didn't ask to stumble upon the chee.

  
  


But I can't just sacrifice a whole shipful of people just because I want to save my planet and future ones from an army of unstoppable androids. 

  
  


I had to stop the Visser, but without putting the _Rogin Gavic_ in danger.

  
  


How far will the Ellimist take this? How much of this story do I have to write? If I putch the deal and sacrifice my easy way out, will that be it? 

  
  


No. When you chose an action. You chose the consequences of that action. Every action has consequences. I must live out the consequences, and hopefully more actions will mean less consequences to the _Rogin Gavic_.

  
  


I stewed inside the ship, I stewed for hours. Finally, I settled on a plan. A dangerous, risky, David-you-do-realize-you're-not-Batman type plan. But it could work.

  
  


*****************************************************************************************************

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We now return you to your regularly scheduled reading.

*****************************************************************************************************

  
  


I joined Klika and Orbin as a human. "I have made my decision." I announced like an over-dramatic TV character. "I shall aid you in the production and distribution of these androids. I will be paid the same as you: the sanctuary."

  
  


"*And who shall we save?*" Klika asked.

  
  


"No one." I said. "I will go alone. In fact, the Visser nor any other yeerk must know that I am human." _Oh, but he will, when I am through with him._ I privately thought

  
  


"*Very well, David.*" Orbin complied. "*I have informed First Mate Hollin of the situation. He is pleased at us, but rather displeased with you. He doesn't trust you.*"

  
  


"*He thinks you're going to ruin it and kill us all.*" Klika blurted.

  
  


"*And of course since First Mate Hollin knows, Captain Gwarver Passay-039 knows.*" Orbin warned. "*Gwarver is even more mercenary than Hollin. We should be careful.*"

  
  


"The captain? What's he like?" I asked. 

  
  


That's when a blue light started to go off in our hanger/lab. 

  
  


"*Sounds like you'll met him soon enough.*" said Orbin.

  
  


"*Visser Three. He's here!*" Klika said excitedly. 

  
  


How can anyone be excited to meet Visser Three?!

  
  


The three of us took the Prototype to the bay where we were receiving the Visser. Captain Hollin was there along with a black haired(but with clear streaks, a sign of age) Dayang. The captain. Several other Dayangs stood at attention. I couldn't see Erko, but Picum was easy to point out. He was the only one with blue hair. He waved his tentacles at us like an idiot and then stood back at attention. I was in Dayang morph, of course. I had a Galard speech synthesizer in my throat too. The Visser walked confidently toward us. 

  
  


Suddenly the anger of seeing him again rushed in me. I had to fight back against the anger, ignoring it. Emotion made my compound eye glow, thus blowing my cover. 

  
  


The Visser had many Hork-Bajir wearing red and black uniforms. A few humans as well. One of whom I recognized. 

  
  


Thomas Berenson. Jake's brother.

  
  


Another figure was with the Visser. It was cloaked so I could not see much. I could see that it had claws shaped like crab pincers, but covered in scales, and a scaly tail. The figure was flanked with many super burly Hork-Bajir wearing blue bands.

  
  


_Blue bands? Visser Three doesn't control a unit of Blue Bands. _ But then I remembered who did. Visser One and each member of the Council of Thirteen. I knew Visser One was a human-controller. So that meant that this shrouded figure was a . . . 

  
  


"*Greetings, Visser Three of the Yeerk Empire!*" Captain Gwarver said in Galard. "*May we have Excellent and Peaceful Business!*"

  
  


We always do, Gwarver. the Visser said. 

  
  


_I'll fucking kill you, Visser! _I thought to myself. _But not today._

  
  


I, too, am entertaining a guest. Captain Gwarver of the Dayang Ship _Rogin Gavic_, meet Council Member Four. 

  
  


_A Coucil Member! I knew it!_

  
  


"*What a fortuitous event this is!*" said Gwarver. 

  
  


_Jesus Christ, what a kiss-ass_!

  
  


"*What do you think of my crew's work?*" Gwarver asked.

  
  


"*I think, like all of our transactions, will be of great use to the Yeerks.*" The council member said. "*Assuming it is used properly*" That last comment was directed at the visser, for some reason.

  
  


Being limited to writing in English, I really can't convey the harshness of Council Member Four's words. He was speaking Galard, but they way we talked left him hissing at every 's'. Hence, is scathing comment to Visser Three actually sounded like this. "Corgus-s-s-s-s bor prys-s-s-sil Fvokas-s-s-s-satis-s-s-s-s-s-s!" It was like he was deliberately choosing words that had the scathing 's' sounds. 

  
  


The Visser looked both angry and frightened at the same time. It was pretty fucking weird, but I guess the Visser decided to get down to business. Doctor Orbin! Show us the prototype.

  
  


We displayed the android to the Visser and the Council Member. 

  
  


"*How shall we test it?*" asked the council member.

  
  


"*One of you must try it out.*" said Klika.

  
  


Temrash two-zero-one! Come here my pool-mate.

  
  


Tom Berenson stepped forward. 

  
  


"*Pool-mate?*" asked the council member. "*Are we showing nepotism, Visser? Moreover, why is your temrash using the body of a human youth.*"

  
  


Council Member Four, this body has been used by both my current Temrash and his predecessor, Argal Seven-zero-zero, who was killed in an attack by the Andalite Bandits.

  
  


I saw Hollin and Gwarver twitch their tentacles in a wave pattern. A contained chuckle. Hollin's was better contained than Gwarver's I noticed too.

  
  


"*Ah yes, but if I remember correctly, Argal was supposed to take the body of a prominent human leader.*" continued the council member.

  
  


"*His failure is just as well.*" Tom/Temrash two-zero-one spoke up for the first time, in perfect Galard. "*That particular official failed to become re-elected last year.*"

  
  


Let us try out this prototype! said the Visser out of frustration. He did not like being constantly grilled for his failures. 

  
  


"*Just put your ear up to the machine's 'ear'. You will soon reach the neural network. Take control as if it were a brain.*" Orbin tutored.

  
  


Two of the Visser's Hork-Bajir held Temrash in place. Temrash put his ear to the droid. After a while, I guess he lost contact with Tom, because he started thrashing around like Bellevue's newest tenant.

  
  


"Let me go! Let me go!" Tom yelled. He realized his impotence and turned his anger on me and the other dayangs. "You fucking, greedy pigs! Don't you realize you've made a deal with the devil?"

  
  


_Good. The old boy still has some fight left. He's just as stubborn as his goddamn brother and cousin. _

  
  


All at once, the droid came alive. 

  
  


"Hearing and vision is excellent. Movement, incredible." Said the Temrash as he controlled the machine and hopped about. He then started playing with the holograms. He became Tom, a Hork-Bajir, a Taxxon, the President, and Andalite warrior, Visser Three, a Horse, A control panel, Jake, Mr. Berenson, Mrs. Berenson, a Gedd, a Volkswagon, a Jaguar (the cat), a Jaguar (the car), a creature I didn't recognize (but matched the height and had claws and a tail like the Council Member), and finally a Dayang.

  
  


"Better than Morphing." Is all he said. 

  
  


Excellent. the Visser said.

  
  


"*If your Temrash would leave the Thanatost, I would like to show you its automation mode.*" Klika said.

  
  


Thanatost? I asked Orbin privately.

  
  


"*It's Draque. 'Than' meaning war and 'Atost' meaning machine.*" Orbin whispered to me.

  
  


Language can be funny sometimes. Like between 'kuichi' and "cootchey". The former is Japanese for mouth; the latter is English slang for pussy. Sort of similar, but not quite.

  
  


'Thanatost' is Draque for War Machine. Thana_tos_ is a Greek word meaning death.

  
  


Six animals were brought out. One snake like creature with two tendrils. The other five were these green things with triceratops-looking heads without the horns. They each had four legs and a bulb out their rear, which reminded me of a thorax. They each had a large tendril coming out of their backs. I recognized the tendril. It's what I had for lunch. These were dibulobs.

  
  


"*Thanatost-0, destroy all dibulobs.*" Klika said. 

  
  


In a blur too fast to see, Thanatost-0 circled around the six animals quickly and fired five dracon beams. When it came to a rest. Only one creature was left alive.

  
  


"*As you can see, the five dibulobs have been vaporized. The blacle snake, however, is unharmed.*" Klika said, finishing her presentation. 

  
  


The Hork-Bajir and humans clapped. The Dayangs pounded the knuckles of their bottom hands to the floor. The Council Member's claws started to rock forward and back. Three other appendages did identical movements from under his cloak. The Visser just stood there and smiled deviously with his eyes. 

  
  


Excellent. was all he said. This guy made Montgomery Burns look like a brain-dead cheerleader. I have seen enough. I shall take the prototype. I want twenty thousand of these Thanatosts in twenty-seven hours. We have already picked out a sanctuary for you. A nice piece of real estate on the fourth moon of Pentasera, the home world of the S-s-s-stram. I'm sure Council Member Four will agree that it is a nice place.

  
  


The council member seemed to radiate heat. My translator interpreted that as a gesture of extreme annoyance. The Council Member's Blue Bands looked equally as uneasy. I guess the Visser said something he really shouldn't. 

  
  


Of course. This member's form is supposed to be secret. The Visser just gave it away. 

  
  


dick.

  
  


What was that? the Visser roared.

  
  


Suspicious looks shot everywhere. I guess I thought-spoke too loud. _Well if it was supposed to be a secret it sure isn't being kept too well. Hell, his hands and tail are showing for Christ's sake_!

  
  


The Visser, the council member, and their entourages left with the prototype. The Captain congratulated us on a job well done. The Visser walked off with a machine that was more powerful than any war machine ever created. The next time I saw the Visser I would be delivering twenty thousand of said androids of death.

  
  


_All goes according to plan._

  
  


*********************************************************************************************************** 

To my Adoring fans,

  
  


Hey sorry, this took so long to post. It happens when you LOSE THE F**KING DISK--TWICE!!

  
  


Now that we are past that unnecessary anger, I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and chapter 18 should be up before the new year.

  
  


I promise.

  
  


Till next we meet,

  
  


Augustine Quill


	18. A Handle on Things

**__**

April 4, 1999?

I wasn't quite sure what time it was. All I knew is that it had to be Sunday by now. 

Easter Sunday. Funny. I hadn't thought about it since Good Friday.

__

What is the purpose of this? Aximli asked me.

"About 2000 years ago, a man was born in a small city called Bethlehem. His name was Jesus Christ. Many people believed he was the son of Yah-weh, the One True God."

Ah yes. Aximili said. I remember this holiday. Prince Jake and the others were preparing for this holiday when we met Jara Hamee and Ket Halpek. This is a Christian holiday. Christianity is the most prevalent religion in this part of the planet. The part you refer to as the 'Western World'.

"That's right, Aximili, and I am a Catholic. The most notorious kind."

The most numerous kind, as well. Although, not within this country. The denomination Protestant is the most prevalent here.

"Yes, well, trivia aside, there are too important holidays concerning Christ. His birth: Christmas. And his death: Easter."

I thought this person was a deity. He died as a mortal?

"He was mortal. He was also divine. I know it seems illogical, but if you think about it, it's the most logical conclusion."

You contemplate your spirituality, David?

"More than I used to." I admitted. "Before I moved, I just kind of went through the motions. You see, not only do we celebrate the death, but his rising from the dead, as well."

Reincarnation?

"No, he just was alive again, after three days. We call that day Easter. And to prepare we have forty days before Easter to contemplate our spirituality and our faith in Jesus Christ. It is called the Lenten Season.

"Funny. I was still in Georgia this Ash Wednesday. St– . . . my friends were with me. At the mass. I had a good, normal, boring life. Now it is Good Friday. The day that Jesus died upon Golgotha. And I am a refuge. An exile. Solider in a war. Yes, Aximili. I have been contemplating my spirituality."

Jesus Christ died and rose again in three days? Why?

"To save the world."

This tale seems highly impossible. Every religion has its own myth of a great hero.

"Do you, Andalties?"

We have our rituals, but no real organized religions. And certainly no deities. We have had 'prophets' come. One, if I remembered correctly, spoke of being the Son of Existence.

"What happened to him?"

Archaeologists have determined he was executed by his fellow Andalites.

"Martyrs."

Strange thing is, archaeologists have also found accounts of his presence after his so-called death.

"Really?"

There has probably been a miscalculation somewhere.

"Maybe. Maybe."

That was the Second of April. Good Friday. It is now Easter Sunday, but it isn't a savior who has risen today. It is a destructor. 

Today, I will deliver twenty thousand machines of death to my sworn enemy. It will mean ruin for my planet. Unless, I stop it. 

I stood in front of a Dayang sink, which is very similar to our own. I washed my hands with the smelly liquid the dayangs used for soap.

The Roman Governors where the ones who had to authorize a crucifixion, but Ponchos Pilate didn't give a damn about Jesus. It was the Hebrew Priests who wanted Jesus to be executed for heresy. So, Pilate simply washed his hands and let the Priests have their way. 

I thought about that as I washed my hands. _Was I simply signing off Terra Firma? Why the fuck did the Ellimist bring me here??!!_

It had something to do with Cassie. He went on and on about how he did not like the fact that I had kissed her. Been romantic with her.

But I loved her. What else am I to do? 

But I loved Stephanie too. 

And unless I fixed this whole thing up, I'll never see either one again.

I had been taking a crash course in programming, learning what I can from the Dayang computer database. When I thought I had learned enough, I tried it out. I wrote a simply piece of code that was to be included in the Thanatosts' programming. It was kind of fun. 

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed as I finished with my code. "I'm a computer geek."

"*So! You're the morphing homo sapien?*" said a gruff voice.

I turned around. "Captain Gwarver. First Mate Hollin."

"*If we are done with the pleasantries, I have some concerns I would like to raise with you.*" 

"Yes?"

"*I want to talk to you about Dayang life. We live for Wyrphat'd. Wyrphat'd is a life of leisure. We obtain this obviously by working and obtaining wealth. Every Dayang on this ship works to achieve Wyrphat'd. It is impossible to convey to a creature like you the importance and gravity of this drive, but needless to say it is very important to us.*"

"I think I can sympathize."

"*As you have probably figured out, these Thanatosts will be used against your planet.*"

"Former planet. My nationality is Drunkard. Which makes me a citizen of the universe." I said. _Great, _I thought. _Now I'm quoting _Casablanca_!_

"*I don't care for your jokes, you Alien Adolescent! Still, if you claim no allegiance to your planet, then I guess my concerns are at rest. But heed this, homo sapien, with over six billion of you, sapien life is cheap. We, the dayangs of the _Rogin Gavic_, have been wandering the cosmos for too long. Now with Wyrphat'd so close, I will not lose it to some backwater alien who thinks it's Gianna Draquen-001. *" Gwarver interrupted his rant with a gesture of reverence, having invoked the name of the Dayang God. (The same name as the planet, I noticed). "*You will not take this from me. I deserve this! *"

"'I'?" I repeated dangerously. "You meant 'we', right? The people of the _Rogin Gavic_ deserve this."

Gwarver's eyes glowed and darkened rapidly in rhythm while his tentacles quivered and whipped about. He was struggling with intense fearful panic and anger. 

He slipped. He revealed where his true concerns led. Hollin's eyes and tentacles were also doing weird things. He was struggling with surprise and worry. I guess, he didn't know his captain all that well.

I decided to break the tension. "You needn't worry about me, captain. The people of Earth mean as much to me as you and your rabble. The difference being is that you and your rabble will get me early retirement or Wyrphat'd as you call it."

The Captain left. Hollin stayed behind.

"*I know you better, David.*" He said calmly. "*You nearly killed me to protect your comrades. I don't believe you would abandon them so quickly for your own gain.*"

"I don't think it's me you should be worried about. I told Gwarver the truth. I care about the people of Earth as much as I do you and the people of the _Rogin Gavic._"

Hollin seemed to contemplate that. "*I hope you know what you're doing, David.*"

"Me too."

__

All goes according to plan.

The Visser came when he said he would, this time without the council member. The Twenty-thousand Thanatosts were a sight to behold as they marched into the Visser's blade ship. Orbin looked as pained. Captain Gwarver and First Mate Hollin were there. They each gave Doctor Orbin their concerns. 

"*Where is the human, Orbin.?*" Captain Gwarver asked teresly. 

"*He is in my quarters. He chose not to attend. He is betraying his planet for his own well-being. It goes against this human sensibilities.*" Orbin explained.

"*I think he will cause us trouble. We are seconds away from Wyrphat'd, and I just know that little alien-_vikol_ is going to ruin things.*" Gwarver warned. My translator offered several translations for 'vikol'–vermin, scoundrel, trash. I got the idea. "*We should neutralize him*" 

__

Neutralize? My dad told me all about neutralization, you prick. You won't be neutralizing me. 

"*Sir, I think that act maybe too rash.*" Hollin said. "*If something goes wrong, we should just turn him over to the Yeerks. Let them deal with him.*"

__

You would wash your hands of me, Hollin? But at the same time I thought. _Why do you even care if I live or die?_

"*Klika and don't think he will be any problem.*" Orbin restated. "*Besides, like I said, he is in my quarters. He will not be a nuisance.*"

__

That's what you think, my friend. I'm sorry that I deceived you, but I have to do this.

Klika was practically gleeming, her tentacles were going everywhere. She was in a giving mood today, so she packed up a little something extra for the Visser's troops. They were waiting in transparent, cube cages. 

So was I.

As the last of the Thanatosts loaded up in to the Blade ship, the Visser approached the Captain one last time.

Everything appears to be in order, Captain. I have given your First Mate the co-ordinates of your sanctuary. Two Bug Fighters will be on hand to escort you.

"*Visser!*" Klika called out sliding her top half forward. "*I have prepared a little something for your Taxxon-controllers. Twenty live Dibulobs. I know how they like our Dibulobs. I even put them in special cases that will protect them from dracon beams or explosions, but still give them air to breathe before you feed them to the Taxxons.*" She said pointing to the cages where Twenty dibulobs lay like many cows for the slaughter. 

How thoughtful. the Visser said insincerely. Nonetheless, the twenty cages were brought in carrying twenty dibulobs. 

Actually, nineteen dibulobs.

The Hanger closed and the Blade ship separated itself from the _Rogin Gavic_. I was in this hanger a week ago, fighting for my life. Here I am again. About fifty of the Thanatosts were in the bay. The others were probably in other parts of the ship.

Once we are in clear of them. the Visser said. Dispatch two Bug Fighters to destroy the _Rogin Gavic._

What? Destroy them? Shit, the Visser was meaner than I thought. He was going to destroy them no matter what! Fuck! I'm going to have to act quickly. Let's hope what Klika said about these cages were true.

All Thanatosts Activate! Begin Self-destruct sequence now!

Twenty-thousand identical voices replied. "*Password required.*"

Password? the Visser yelled, confused. What password? What are they doing?

'Steph or Cassie? That is the question!'

"*Password accepted. Self-destruct activated!*"

****

KA-BOOM! The explosion was great. True to Klika's claim, the cages protected us, but we were tossed about a lot. Then an even more massive shockwave came from a different direction. A different part of the ship.

Hork-bajir and Taxxons burned. The Visser was morphing something as fast as he could. I couldn't tell what. When the explosion was over, all the cages had broken. The Dibulobs were running around like crazy as burnt Taxxons (and Taxxons who were still burning) greedily gobbled them up. 

The Visser, half-morphed, demorphed. When he was fully Andalite, you could see that all he suffered were some minor burns. Damage report! He called.

"The blasts from the androids were minor and were mostly contained within the several storage bays. Unfortunately, my Visser, several of the Androids were in the Bug Fighter bay. All of our fighters have been destroyed." said a human-controller over the intercom. "Again the blast was contained with in the bay, but the shock wave damaged our z-space engine."

Destroy those treacherous Dayangs! They caused this!

__

Every action has consequences. Consequence you must take responsibility for.

No! I shouted as I began to demorph. I did it!

I rose from the remains of several broken cages, which went opaque when they broke. It was a bit too theatrical. But I'm a theatrical kind of guy. The Dibulob back tendril (the Dayang Delicacy) was the last to get sucked back into my body.

The Human! Visser Three shouted.

"You were expecting maybe Elfangor's ghost?"

He stepped toward me enraged. I WILL DESTROY YOU FOR THIS!

My forearms went Hork-Bajir before he could take another step. I looked like Popeye with blades. "Ah Ah Ah!" I said coyly, projecting confidence. (Even though I felt I might soil my morphing suit.) "Don't you remember what happened the last time we tangoed? Or do I have to slit your throat again?"

The Visser's tail twitched. Then he calmed down. Ha Ha! Ever the arrogant human. So you destroyed my army? Impressive. But if you were going to have a future, I'd tell you to be more thorough. Thanatost-0! Come to me!

Thanatost-0?! The proto-type! The one that doesn't have the self-destruct sequence. Oh shit. 

The Android that looked so much like the Chee, entered, ready and willing to do the Visser's dirty work. 

Ah, Thanatost-0. Capture that morphing creature. It's high time I gave my Temrash a more fitting host.

The Android fired a Dracon Beam at me. I dodged and completed my morph to Hork-Bajir. Thanatos-0! Cease and Desist! That is an order from your creator!

Nice try, Human! But it will not listen to you. It only responds to my voice. And why do you call yourself its creator?!

I hid behind some metal crates. I demorphed and tried to began a remorph, but I suddenly became very tired. _Come on, David! Morph! You have to do this!_ This was my only chance. I concentrated on the important part of the morph I needed. 

Were you in league with the Dayangs? Did that treacherous Klika purposefully smuggle you in my ship?!

No she didn't, but I realized then how much trouble I had gotten the Dayangs. Trouble I will have to get them out of. I told Hollin I cared for the people of the _Rogin Gavic_ as much as I did the people of my planet. I better live up to that. I had just started my morph when the Prototype found me. Hopefully, the part I need was fully morphed. 

Destroy him, Thanatost-0! the Visser yelled.

Then, an identical thought-speech yelled. Stop! The Prototype stopped.

What? Don't stop. Kill him!

Stop.

Don't stop. You worthless android! Kill him!

Stop.

WHO'S DOING THAT?!!! 

I rose. Fully morphed, having received time to do so while the Prototype was confused.

What? the Visser muttered. Confused. How?

What's the matter, Visser? Don't like looking at yourself? I shouted in Visser Three's thought speech. I had acquired the Visser's host the last time I was on the ship. Now, I had morphed him.

Are all six billion of you like this? Is this what happens when humans get ahold of technology they are not ready for?? You wonder why, besides your comrades, the rest of the andalites have left you to us. You humans are a scourge! You are nasty monstrous creatures. You would do more damage in a century than a hundred Yeerk Empires could ever do!!! You double-brained, insane, absolute, HORROR OF A SENTIENT LIFE-FORM!

Flattery will get you nowhere, Visser! I shouted in my own thought-speech. Then in the Visser's: Thanatos-0! Ignore all commands until this order is fufilled: Destroy all Andalites!

The Thanatost was closer to the Visser, so it went after him first. I started to demorph.

Guards! Destroy the android and the human!

The Hork-Bajir guards. Shit, I didn't even see them! They began blasting at the Android, being careful not to hit the visser. They also shot at me. Since I was rapidly demorphing, there was no confusion over who I was. I was shot by a beam and lain their crippled. I started to morph Hork-Bajir, but I was very tired.

The Prototype was also firing Dracon beams. The Visser had managed to take out it's eyes with his tail blade, so sometimes they would miss and hit a Hork-Bajir. 

The Visser managed to complete a morph of a large bird. It flew to the guards. The Protoype stood at attention (battered, singed, and missing an arm) having fufilled its last mission.

The Visser and the Hork-Bajir guards left. On the other side of the door, the Visser gave one last command.

Destroy all living creatures in the room!

__

Well, I guess I'm pretty much butt-fucked!

I turned over. I so fucking tired, I couldn't move. Couldn't morph. I saw death on the horizon. 

The Thanatost was more damaged then I thought. It limped its way to me. It could barely move. Still didn't mean it couldn't kill me. It wrapped its one remaining hand around my neck, choking me. Things started to get dark.

FLASH!

__

Brett Taggart, the bastard. 

"No one grabs my girlfriend's ass. Except me!" I shouted. 

"Suck my cock and like it, punk!" He shouted back.

It was after school. Parking lot of the Taco Bell. Stephanie was there. Steph's ex-boyfriend, Brett was there too. Jason wasn't, so I had no one to get my back.

"I don't have the patience to deal with you. What the fuck's your problem?"

"Brett Taggart does not lose his girl to any way. Especially to some cocksmoking, Movie-coating pussy. Time for some justice."

"Boys who crave power, talk about themselves in third-person, and treat women like objects, take the wrong road of self-esteem compensation. They pile all of their evils and vices and call it 'justice'" I said. Brett got this look of confusion on his face. Typical when I give him a verbose insult. "And it's 'quoting_', you dick-less, Neanderthalic, waste-of-space! '_Movie-quoting_'! 'Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth???'"_

That got immediate attention. He punched me in the gut and subsequently kneed me in the face. I was down for the count, laying face down on the asphalt. 

Stephanie launched herself at Brett, but he caught her and threw her down onto the ground. 

Needless, to say I was not happy. I got up and grabbed Brett by his shirt.

"'Hasta la vista, baby' Terminator 2'" I said, as I hit threw into a wall.

"'Yippee-kay-yay, Motherfucker!' Die Hard Trilogy" FWAP! I hit him across his nose.

"'Hello. My name is Indigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!' Princess bride." FWAP! I hit him in his stomach.

"'Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?' Batman" FWAP! I kneed him in the balls. I lifted his head so he could see me.

"'If I fight to protect the love of mine

Between Right and Wrong, There Is No Line.' That one's mine." I said as I smashed his head into the wall. In retrospect, yes it was cruel, but every action has consequences.

"David?" Stephanie called to me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said as she held me and I walked leaning on to her. "As long as I have you to fight for, I'll be fine." I looked into her eyes and she kissed me.

"There . . . . . is . . . . no . . . . . line!" I shouted as I punched my human fist into the Thanatosts' skull. My hand probed its skull, till I found what I wanted: the CPU. I took it and ripped it out. All of the sudden the pressure in its hand released. I could breathe. And as soon as I found strength, I sat up.

As soon as I sat up, I found myself on my rock. The rock that jutts out over the stream in the Forest of which I live. I was home. My new home, but home nonetheless. 

I looked into the stream. I could see my reflection. "Looks like you did it, David."

My reflection smiled. "Yes, and much to my surprise."

I didn't even flinch. "Hello, Ellimist."

"You keep changing things, you know. The game will be harder with you as piece."

"With whom do you play your game, with Ellimist?"

My reflection got a look of sadness. "You will find out soon enough."

"What happened to the _Rogin Gavic_?" I asked.

Suddenly, my reflection rippled. I saw in the water, Visser Three and Council Member Four. They were on the bridge. Hollin was speaking to them via transmission.

"* . . . . that it was Captain Gwarver who put the human David Hunting on our ship. The Captain's plan was to let David and his andalite comrades use our resources to make these war machines whose sole purpose was to cripple the Blade ship and deliver Council Member Four and Visser Three to the andalites. I executed Captain Gwarver as he told the Andalite Fleet of David's failure. Because of the destruction of the Thanatosts, we do not hold you obligated to deliver our sanctuary. We hope to do business with you again, Visser Three.*"

As do I. Good luck in your endeavors, _Captain_ Hollin. the Visser said. And do not worry. I do not hold you responsible for this catastrophe. You will not receive retaliation from me.

My perspective changed and I was seeing the _Rogin Gavic_'s Bridge. 

"*Do you think they bought it?*" Dr. Orbin asked.

"*I think we are safe.*" Hollin said. "*The Visser would dare not do anything treacherous with Council Member Four on board.*"

"*Do you think David is safe?*" Klika asked.

"*I have a feeling he is all right, and we'll be seeing him again.*"

My reflection returned. 

"I did good, Ellimist." I asked.

"Yes." Said the Ellimist. "And if you do one more thing, I will be convinced you are no nuisance to universe."

"And what's that?"

"David?"

"Steph?"

No. It was Cassie. Cassie in a very pretty dress.

"Hi." I said. "Nice dress."

"Thanks. I'm just about to go to Easter Mass. I only go to church like twice: Christmas and Easter."

"Is Jake coming with you?"

"No, he's half-Jewish. He doesn't celebrate Easter."

"Oh."

After a few seconds, Cassie finally spoke. "I can't do this."

I played dumb. "Do what?"

"David, you know I care for you, but I . . . . have feelings . . . . for Jake, and although we aren't like official or anything. I feel that if I expressed my feelings for you, it would be wrong. And I'm not saying that 'you and I' are wrong. It's just that 'Jake and I' is more right than 'you and I'. Not that 'you and I' are right, or something . . ."

"Cassie," I interrupted, "Why is it 'you and I' _are_ and 'you and Jake' _is_?"

She was flabbergasted. She stumbled over her own words.

"Cassie, I will always love you, but I can not love you the way you need to be loved. They way Jake can love you."

"You think Jake loves me that way."

"No, but he _can_ love you that way."

Cassie seemed to be happier. "That's the second time you've called me Steph. Who is she?"

I only smiled at her. "Happy Easter, Cassie."

Cassie let it go. "Happy Easter, David." She left. I looked down at my right hand and noticed it was still in the fist I had made to bash in the Thanatost's skull. I open up my hand relieving all the muscle tension.

There in my palm was the Thanatost's CPU. 


	19. Fifteen

**__**

April 7, 19992:49 PM

Cassie

I came home from school. The box was in the fridge. The others were with me, mostly by protest. Rachel and Marco especially. They didn't think we should do this. Jake too was uneasy, but thought as I did. David was one of us. 

Truth was, I was a bit unwary too. It hadn't really seen David since last weekend, when he . . . when I . . . when we kissed. I don't know what it was. I don't know if it was because I didn't expect it. No, I did expect it. Just not so soon. David had known me less than a month. He had at one point hated all of us, but the night I saw him. The night my father reminded me to feed that deer. The night I stopped him. I felt it. When we were racing. 

I felt him and watched him fall in love with me.

I never really believed in love at first sight. Jake's affection for me took years to develop as did mine. Yet, David fell in love with me in a month. It was overwhelming. I still had feelings for Jake, but this feeling for David was different. I wasn't quite sure what it was. 

David knew I was with Jake. I didn't think he would do anything, that way I wouldn't have to deal with it. Then he kissed me. My first. Funny, I always thought my first would be with Jake. It was everything I thought it would be. Except that it wasn't with Jake. I ran out of there like a scared little girl. I found him later on his rock by the river. His thinking place. I told him I couldn't be with him because of Jake. He was surprisingly accepting, but I left him there to be alone with his thoughts. I hadn't seen him since. 

He was always the most comfortable around me. He never did take to Marco, and I don't think he likes Jake or Rachel much. 

Another surprise was how quickly his feelings 180'd about Tobias and Ax. He used to see them as subhuman, but now I think they are his best friends in the world. 

This was actually Tobias's idea. After Marco and Ax cracked into the school database to pull out David's file, Tobias saw the date and decided we should do this.

The four of us were in the barn waiting for Tobias to show. Tobias flew in and told us the coast was clear.

He's playing _Mortal Kombat 4 _with Ax. They'll be busy for a while.

"You know, I have some major homework, and I still haven't caught up on my sleep." Rachel whined.

"Come on, Rachel." I said. "Who else is going to do this if not us."

"He doesn't know we're coming, Tobias?" Jake asked.

He doesn't even know we know.

"Ya know?" Marco added.

"Let's just get this over with." Rachel whined again.

We walked toward Ax and David's scoop. They were in the middle of a battle. David was very focused. A Bug Fighter could have landed thirty feet from them and he wouldn't have noticed.

The sound of video game death is heard. "Sub-Zero wins. Fatality!" said the game.

"Who's the coolest kombatant in the whole fucking universe??!" David yelled triumphantly. 

"Could you be any more of a geek?" Marco said suddenly. 

David turned around suddenly. "What are you guys doing here?"

Go ahead, Jake. Tobias said. Open the box.

Jake opened the box and presented to David the contents inside. David stood wide-eyed at the box which held a chocolate cake with vanilla icing that beared the message in green. His name had been added later by me, using chocolate icing. Marco was ever so paranoid. Jake proceeded to light the fifteen candles. 

"No fucking way! I never told you guys." David said flabbergasted. He looked at me. 

But it was Tobias who said it first. Happy Birthday, David.

"Happy Birthday, David." Jake said.

Happy Birthday, David Aximili said

David looked at me. Did he still care for me. Does he still carry that intense love for me? I smiled back. "Happy Birthday, David."

"Happy Birthday, David" Rachel said quickly.

"Happy Birthday. Blow the candles. Make a wish already." Marco said.

David looked at the cake. He looked at me, with that contemplating look on his face. But then he turned his gaze over to Megadeth, his cat, who was lounging in his box. 

David smiled with a far-off look and blew out his candles.


	20. War Story

**__**

April 20, 199912:00 PM

It was Tuesday. Today started out as any other day. We, the Animorphs, haven't had a mission since we foiled Visser Three's attempt to take the head leaders of our planet. That was a month ago. Which was good, I need the down time. Adjustment time. I had my little episode with the Dayangs, but that was two weeks ago. 

It did leave me with a souvenir to work on. 

I lived with Aximili now, had been for a month. We each have a computer. Mine's a Hewlett Packard. His is a Mac. The Scoop we live in has a roof that covers my half and most of his. We have one TV. Aximili's computer tapes everything on every channel. I can watch _Friends _now and _Who's Line?_ later. Except today was Tuesday, not Thursday, and nothing good ever airs on Tuesday. Unless they move _Fraiser _back in that time slot, but why would they do that? 

My computer, when I'm not chatting with ladies and surfing for porn, is usually devoted to that blasted chip I took from Thanatost-0. 

I've learned a lot about computer architecture and computer programming in the last few weeks. I've had a lot of time on my hands. Maybe I wasn't out scoping for controllers like Tobias. But at least I didn't stop in the middle of it to watch _The Young and the Restless_. 

Come on, I'm late. I don't want to miss what happens. Tobias said, fluttering on to a perch we made for him. 

"Keep your feathers on you, Bird! Blue has been trouncing me, but this time I've got him." I pleaded. I've gotten accustomed to calling Tobias and Aximili "Bird and Blue" respectively. They didn't seem to mind. "Besides we're on the last lap and I'm dogging it, because my back teeth are floating."

Of course he's trouncing you. He's Toad, the light weight. You're Bowser, the heavy weight. Of course the light weight is going to beat the heavy weight. They're faster!

"Hey! Excuse me, Dr. Mario Kart 64, but this is my course! You see this? _Bowser's Castle_. This is all me. So what, he's beaten me on half the Star Cup, all of the Flower Cup, and most of the Mushroom Cup."

_All_ of the Mushroom Cup. Aximili corrected. 

"I beat you on _Moo Moo Farm_, damnit!"

The second time. I beat you the first time.

"Ok! You _know_ we crossed the finish line simultaneously. It only said you won because you're Player One!" I said very defensively.

I still won the first time.

On our Television screen, Bowser crossed the finish line. Behind him, Toad crossed the finish line..

"Ah yeah! Big Bad Turtle Guy—1st Place! Loser Fungus Boy—2nd place! I am the man!" I yelled triumphantly as I got up and did a dance.

Don't you have to go?

"That's why I'm dancing."

After I "watered" the trees, Bird and Blue were watching their soap, so I went to work on my own little project. Aximili couldn't see what I was working on because I had put in a wooden partition between us.

I booted up my computer and then tried out my new "device". I made something that, theoretically, should read the Thanatost's CPU and display it's coding on screen.

I opened up the program in Windows. There for me to see was the Thanatost's programing in simple 1's and 0's.

I didn't understand it at all.

"This could take forever." I mumbled to myself.

Oh! My! Aximili shouted in horror.

Jesus Christ! Tobias shouted in equal horror.

"What's the matter? Did the two hot lovers find out they were brother and sister?"

David, you should look at this. Tobias said.

I came around my little wooden fence and looked at the TV. Bird and Blue's soap wasn't on. Instead News coverage. A lot of teenagers. Crying. Afraid.

"Yeerks?"

I wish.

Aximili was changing channels. It is in on 95% of the network channels; 30% of the cable channels.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Aximili kept it on CNN. That's when I saw the headline. **School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado**. 

"Yeah, I used to live there." I said.

Really? Tobias asked.

"Yeah. First Grade for about five months. One of the few times I was glad Dad moved us away. One, I hate not being near some body of water. Two, I was suspended for beating up this Third grader. Eric Harrold, or something."

You beat up a Third grader? At first grade? Tobias asked.

"Well, he took my ball at recess."

David, was the name of this child you abused Eric Harris? Aximili asked.

"_Harris!!_ Not Harrold. You're right. Yes, it was. How did you know?"

Aximili only pointed at the screen. I looked where they showed the pictures of the suspected killers. I recognized one.

"Oh. God."

I was still thinking about that. It was later that evening around 6:00. When the sun started to set. Tobias was turning in for the night. 

Hey man. Relax. Tobias said, sounding very surferish.

"I knew that dude. And he fucking killed people."

We kill people.

"This is a war. This is different. Eric and his friend killed people out of hate. You shouldn't kill out of hate."

Maybe you should remember that the next time you're up against Visser Three.

"That dude's fucking evil, alright? How can you compare me to those two . . . . monsters?! They killed innocent people. Innocent."

Soldiers can't be innocent?

"No." I said flatly. 

Tobias was silent for a while. He preened his feathers, a sign that he wanted to change the subject. I feeling a flight. Wanna join me?

"Ok. I acquired a bunch of animals last month. I tested them all out and practiced my morphing, but this will give me a chance to actually use it." I said as I started the morph. Usually, when I morph birds, I morph the wings first. I shrivel my arms and sprout the wings out my back. But this time I decided on the face. The slender beak. The piercing eyes. The feathers that sprout up like a crown. My shoulders and arms dissolved into the wings that hung majestically like a judge's robe. My legs shrank and elongated into talons. I grew tail feathers. 

A great horned owl. Nice.

We flew towards the mountains. I recognized this route. Are we going to see Jara?

Yeah. I don't know, but when I introduced you to him last month we were in such a damn hurry, we didn't stay long to visit. Ever since then, I've been meaning to go there and visit. His kawatnoj should have been born by now.

My translator interpreted kawatnoj as children. Jara's a daddy?

Yeah. How did you know what kawatnoj meant?

Oops. Well, I figured you weren't talking about a pet. So many secrets. They didn't know about the Thanatost. Or my whole adventure with the Dayangs. I wondered if I should tell them. If I did. They would ask about my project with the CPU. And I'm not sure I'd want that. Yet. Although I could tell Jake the true name of the Yeerk who captured his brother.

As, we flew into the valley, I noticed that Tobias was having to flap harder to stay in the air. He would have to stay the night in the valley. 

As we floated above the valley we saw a small hork-bajir, leaping around the trees. A free, hork-bajir child. The child ran to a hork-bajir adult I recognized. Jara Hamee. According to Aximili and Tobias, in December 1998, Tobias and Rachel stumbled upon Jara Hamee and his wife, Ket Halpek escaping the Yeerks through a forest secret entrance. Tobias and the other Animorphs helped him and his wife escape. Since then, others have escaped apparently. Many others.

Tobias and I flew into a large elm tree. We landed on some branches and looked up to see Jara.

Hi, Jara. Tobias said.

Hey, big guy. I said.

"Hello, Friend Tobias. New Friend." He greeted. Obviously he forgot my name. "Work almost done. Tobias and friend welcome to night fire."

As night fell, the Hork-Bajir ceased to work and gathered around a fire. I demorphed, but Tobias stayed as he was. I was curious to what they were doing, so I took a seat by the fire. I was looking for Ursa Wulvef, but I couldn't find him. I wanted to thank him for his great form. 

My only altercations with Hork-Bajir have been with Hork-Bajir Controllers. Vicious fighters, they are.

These real Hork-Bajir were very peaceful. Slow, but peaceful.

"Eat Bark?" Jara offered to me and Tobias. "Good Bark."

No, thank you.

"That's all right. I'm all full from a bouquet I ate earlier."

We don't want to keep you all awake if you're ready to sleep.

"Sleep?" said Jara's wife, Ket Halpek. "No Sleep. Tell story."

"Story?" I asked a little apprehensively. You know those kids in class that take forever to read something aloud? That's kind of how I picture the Hork-Bajir, but maybe I'm wrong.

What stories do you tell? Tobias asked with equal apprehension.

"Story of Father Deep?" Ket suggested. "Story of Mother Sky."

"Story of Jubba-Jubba." Another hork-bajir suggested.

Jara looked at Tobias, and smiled shrewdly. At least that's how my translator interpreted it as.

"Story of Yeerks and Andalites." Jara said. "Story of War."

I leaned closer.

"My father-father was a seer" Jara said. "Seeing far. Knowing much. Not like other Hork-Bajir. Not like Jara Hamee and Ket Halpek. Like . . . like Tobias. And friend of Tobias. Seeing far. Knowing much. Father-father learn story of Andalite. Learn story of Yeerk. Give story to Jara Hamee."

"Do tell, do tell." I said.

Yes, we would like to hear the story of the Hork-Bajir war with the Yeerks.

Jara Hamee began to rock. Soon he wove a fascinating yarn of war. There were three sides to this story. I felt a familiar presence that made me think of raccoons, and I heard Jara's words as if they were coming from the actual people involved. A Hork-Bajir named Dak Hamee. An Andalite named Aldrea. And Yeerk named Esplin. 

I shivered when I heard his name for some reason.

It was near sunrise before Jara finished his story. The other Hork-bajir were asleep.

That's an amazing story. Tobias said. Not exactly a happy one, though.

"Yes. Good Story. Sad Story." Jara said. "Father tell Jara Hamee. Father-father tell father. I tell daughter." He said as he looked at the young hork-bajir currled up next to her mother.

"This is your kawatnoj, eh?" I asked.

"Yes. She is different."

What's the end to your story? Tobias asked.

"Story have no end. Stories go on." Jara said jovially

I guess you're right. Besides, I guess I don't want to know the next part of the story. It was pretty sad. Too easy to see my own people going the way of the Hork-Bajir. Still, I wish I knew what became of Dak and Aldrea. And even Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six.

"Jara know that. Dak Hamee and Aldrea daughter of Seerow live. Have child. Then die."

The child was your father?

"Yes. Dak and Aldrea have son. Son called Seerow. In honor of Seerow. Not Hork-Bajir name."

No, I kind of figured that out.

"Son Seerow have son. That son, Jara Hamee!"

Well. There you go then. And Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six?

Jara looked shrewdly at Tobias. "Tobias know Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six."

Well, I didn't. I shot a questioning look to Tobias, who shot a look at me. It was then I realized.

"Son of a bitch! I knew it!"

Visser Three?

"Visser Three." Jara confirmed.

"Mother-fucker!" I grumbled. "Alloran is his host, right? The one who made the virus. Esplin's host killed thousands of Hork-Bajir, no?"

Ket and her daughter woke up.

"That guy deserves a thousand deaths." I ranted at Alloran's evil genocide. "A sentence he may have just as well paid for."

Thanks for telling me the story, Jara. Tobias said. I guess . . . . I guess we can hope that someday there will be another Great Hork-Bajir seer like Dak Hamee. Maybe he'll be luckier, huh?

"Yes." Jara said.

"Yes." Ket agreed.

Let's go, David.

"Wait, I want to meet this daughter." I said. I don't know why I did, I just did. 

A four-foot version of the seven-foot monsters presented herself to us. I noticed it had only two horns on her head like her mother. 

"This is daughter Toby Hamee. Named after Tobias."

Wow. That's an honor, Jara and Ket. Tobias said as his feathers rustled. But it's kind of a strange name for a Hork-Bajir, isn't it?

"Especially a girl." I commented, which got myself a look from Tobias. I decided to start my morph to Golden Eagle.

"Yes." Ket agreed. "Strange name."

"Good name." Jara said. "Toby is different."

"Yes." Ket agreed. "Toby is different."

Tobias was about to lift off when I asked.Different? Do you mean . . .?

"Yes, David, friend of the Hork-Bajir. Yes, I am different."

You look very mature for being only four months old. When were you born?

"I was born when Mother Sky's melon was at it's highest. One hundred and seventeen days ago."

I did the math in my head. Then your birthday according to Terra Firma was . . . . December 25.

Christmas! You were born Christmas day? Tobias marveled.

Toby only smiled.

That's got to be a good sign.

Let's just hope she ends up better than our savior did.


	21. Debate, Debate, Debate

  
  


Yes, I skipped two books. 

  
  


Yes, I'm fine with that.

  
  


******************************************************************************

_**May 28, 199912:52 PM**_

  
  


"Girl, no, he did not!" I said incredulous

  
  


"Fo' real, Big Mama." said my new friend Shaqueen. Her husband was a total scrub. I tell ya', I wouldn't put up with any of that bullshit! I told her so too.

  
  


"You're right, Big Mama!" Shaqueen said as she adjusted her towel and tossed her hair out of her face. It was hot in this sauna. "When he gets home, I'm given Jawan a piece of my mind."

  
  


"You know, I never have problems with my husband! He's just like, a total saint, ya know?" said another woman in the sauna. She was one of those ditzy, blonde, beautiful, confident, trophy wife, white women. She was on the wrong coast. She really belonged in the _other _California. By some awful coincidence, her name was Rachel. Her arrogance was so apparent in the fact that she wouldn't wear a top in the sauna.

  
  


"Like yesterday night, he came in real late cause he was at a Sharing meeting helping the poor and stuff."

  
  


"Mmm-hmm." I remarked. A typical remark from a woman like me.

  
  


"Ohmygawd! There is a skunk in the SAUNA!!!! AAAAAAAAAH!" Rachel screamed all of the sudden. All of the girls ran out leaving me alone with the skunk. With the skunk was a rabbit.

  
  


"Mmmm-hmmm." I said to the two woodland animals

  
  


David, what are you doing in here? said the rabbit.

  
  


Steaming? 

  
  


David, get out of that morph and let's go.

  
  


"Uh-uh, Featherhead." I said as I went into full swagger. "I'm big. I'm black. And I'm beautiful. And **_no_ man** tells Big Mama where to go or what to do!"

  
  


Demorph. Now.

  
  
  
  


You know, ever since the boy found out Elfangor was his father, he's gotten more bossy. I mean, who fucking died and made him Quetzalcoatl, huh? Anyways, the three of us were walking down the street in our human morphs. Me and Aximili were the "Composite Brothers" having each taken our morph from pieces of Jake, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco. Since our morphs had the same 'parents', we looked like brothers. Tobias was in his human morph.

  
  


"You know you can't just acquire human morphs as you want, David." Tobias started. "We have rules."

  
  


"I haven't acquired one, since 'Big Mama'. Technically, 'Big Mama' is a composite morph from the six large African women I met at the YMCA. She came pretty handy when Rachel and I were hanging out in the Laundromat, just in case DeGroot turned out to be a baddy."

  
  


"He _did_ turn out to be a baddy, David." Tobias pointed out. "What were you doing in there?"

  
  


"I was relaxing." I said very defensive. "In the two months I've been here, I've been on more alien ships than I would have cared for. Heard the story of the Hork-Bajir War. Found out my human friend trapped as a hawk has an Andalite for a Dad. I morphed an alien that made fleas look like Great Danes. Then, I got shrunk to that size and morphed an animal, who was, relatively, the size of the fucking moon! Then, I get whisked away to the North Pole, no, not to visit Santa Claus, to fight monsters made of frozen chlorine. Excuuuuuuuse me if I want to fucking relax for two fucking hours!"

  
  


"Yes, you have had a big life adjustment. Ad-JAA. Ad. Just. Ment." Aximili added.

  
  


"Adjustment? Two months ago, I didn't know if aliens existed. Now, I'm up to my ass in extraterrestrial life! Andalites, Yeerks, Gedds, Hork-Bajir, Taxxons, Dayangs, Arn, Helmacrons, Venber, The Five. Did I miss anyone??!"

  
  


A stranger in a trench coat cleared his throat. He turned around. I recognized him. At least this particular form.

  
  


"Who are you?" Tobias asked, defensively. 

  
  


I brought to my friends' attention, a dog across the street who had jumped in the air. He was still in the air. The couple walking the dog had stopped in mid-step. The clock in the window next to them had stopped ticking. "Two guesses." I said.

  
  


"Ellimist." Aximili said, his human voice dripping in suspicion.

  
  


"Very good, Andalite. In a few minutes you will find yourself with your friends at the Western High School Auditorium."

  
  


"What the hell for?" I asked.

  
  


"We're playing a little game."

  
  


All of the sudden, I was face-to-face with a man dressed as a lion. Dark-yellow make-up. Very Artsy. Very Disney. 

  
  


"What is this, _Lion King Live_??" I shouted. 

  
  


Aaaah! Tobias shouted as he suddenly appeared. He landed himself on the lip of the stage. Is he here yet?

  
  


Cassie and the others came to the stage. Aximili suddenly appeared amidst several of the performers. His tail was raised immediately and stalk eyes darted. The Ellimist apparently made him very jumpy. 

  
  


"It's okay, Ax." Jake reassured. "I think."

  
  


The Ellimist. Tobias said. 

  
  


Marco agreed. "I don't know anyone else who can just stop time whenever he wants. Unless it's that new math teacher."

  
  


"So where is he?" Rachel demanded.

  
  


"Wherever he wants to be." Marco grumbled.

  
  


"David, you're about to meet the Ellimist we warned you about." Jake warned me.

  
  


"We've already met." I said, shooting a look at Cassie. Jake followed my look to a confused Cassie, both of whom curious as to the circumstances of my introduction to the Ellimist.

  
  


Aximili and I stepped off the stage and joined our comrades, at the same time a girl got up. 

  
  


"Yes, it is I." said the girl.

  
  


"The Ellimist?" Cassie asked. The girl nodded.

  
  


"Where's the Big Voice and the quick-change bodies and all?" Rachel asked.

  
  


"I have chosen this form for a reason," said the Ellimist in a girl's voice. "I come today on a humble mission. I wanted a humble form. One that would not evoke feelings of dread or awe or reverence from you."

  
  


"So be a puppy." I said.

  
  


"Okay, so you're just a regular girl," Rachel said bitchily. Made me think of the other Rachel in the sauna. "No big show, aside from the fact you froze time and all."

  
  


"This is as humble as I know how to be. I come to . . ." He/she/whatever hesitated. "I come to tell you a story, and to see how you will choose to react."

  
  


"Oh, good, a story." Marco said. "Is it a musical, too? Will there be any Hakuna Matata involved?"

  
  


"I will tell you a story. You will tell me the ending."

  
  


"Oh, no." I protested. "I'm still recovering from the last _Choose Your Own Adventure Book_ you stuck me in."

  
  


Ellimist continued uninterrupted. "Once I . . . we had hands. Not much different from these, but that was a long time ago. About a billion of your years. We evolved as all living things do, some faster, some slower. We were among the first sentient species, even slow change can become profound. Back when all Earth could boast were a few simple single-celled organisms, we were beginning to watch the night sky and understand the movements of our own planet. We learned and we grew powerful. By the time worms first crawled in the mud of Earth, we were traveling in faster-than-light ships. And when the first dinosaurs walked we . . . we had become much as I am today." 

  
  


"You'd become a girl with braces?" Marco said.

  
  


Ellimist gave a steely smile. "The Andalites could do with some of the human sense of humor." He/she/whatever said as Aximili scuffed a hoof on the stage. "And if the Yeerks had any sense of humor at all they wouldn't be the scourge they are."

  
  


Marco looked more flustered than proud of his smartass remark. Were they afraid of this guy? 

  
  


Ellimist continued his story. "We watched the rise of other species throughout the galaxy. Helped at times, when we could. We wanted companions. We wanted to learn. We imagined a galaxy filled with millions of sentient species, each with its own science and art, its own beauty, but it wasn't that simple.

  
  


"Approximately a hundred million Earth years ago, we became aware of a new force in the galaxy. Not a species, an individual. He was a fugitive from another galaxy, chased out of that galaxy by a power even greater than he. Greater than me."

  
  


"He was banished here?" I asked.

  
  


"I thought you were all-powerful." Rachel accused.

  
  


"No." Ellimist answered. "I only seem so only from your limited perspective. This new force, this individual began to make his presence know in our galaxy. And he had different ideas from ours. He sees a universe of conflict, pain, and terror. He craves fear. Not his own, of course, but the fear of others. He is a strange perfectionist, in a way."

  
  


"He's a terrorist." I said.

  
  


"He wants a galaxy cleansed of creation. His goal, I soon realized, is to destroy life. His method is to use one species against another, strong destroying weak, and then strong in turn being destroyed by the stronger still."

  
  


"He's a Caucasian."

  
  


"He believes that there should be only one species. A single sentient race, which would be subjugated by him."

  
  


"He's a Nazi." Cassie said.

  
  


"In the moral sense, yes, but he has different visions of what constitutes total power. He wants to be able to control the strands of space-time itself. Not merely to see them and understand them, but to hold them in his fist and dictate the very laws of physics and nature, to recreate the galaxy in his own image, and someday to spread his power throughout all the galaxies and destroy the one power greater than himself."

  
  


"Can we go back to_ The Lion King_ now?" Marco complained.

  
  


"He is called Crayak." the Ellimist said as he looked to Jake. "You have seen him. And he has seen you."

  
  


One by one, the six of us looked to our leader. "Jakie? Is there something you're not telling us?"

  
  


"When the yeerk died in your brain," Ellimist continued. "You peered across the line between life and death. You broke the dimensional hold that binds humans to things beyond themselves, and in that moment, Crayak saw you. He saw that I would make myself know to you soon. That I had touched you. And he knew that you must, therefore, play some part in my plans. A hundred million years ago, we fought, Crayak and I."

  
  


Suddenly the auditorium was gone. We stood in black empty space with stars. Very bright stars. 

  
  


"Whoa. Like IMAX and shit."

  
  


I wanted to stop him, the Ellimist said in thought-speech, to stop his destruction. He wanted to eliminate me.

  
  


One by one, stars extinguished prematurely. 

  
  


The result was something neither of us could tolerate. The battle was fought destroyed a tenth of my galaxy, millions of suns, millions of planets, a dozen sentient races.

  
  


In my head, images of otherworldly creatures flooded my brain. Amazing shapes, sizes, colors. Massive vertebrates and tiny insects, species from the land, sea, and sky. All gone.

  
  


A dozen sentient species, and more who could have achieved sentience, all destroyed, destroyed for nothing! The Ellimist said in the same panicked voice he used when he ranted at me for kissing Cassie. But Crayak was damaged as well. The fabric of space-time, the software as you humans would say, the software that runs the galaxy was damaged, twisted by the sudden explosion of our power.

  
  


Again, we suddenly shifted locations. This time into a something I could not quite get. I was in some kind of space where everything was . . . . . . . visable. I mean it was like back, front, up, down, inside, outside, any of those directions, anything that you could possible see in those directions was now laid right out in front of you. I could see myself. I could see my heart. I could see Marco's heart. Plus all of Aximili's. I saw with shocking intimacy every fiber of Tobias's feathers. Every muscle of Jake's jaw. Every marrow of Rachel's bones.

  
  


One anatomy lesson I could have done without.

  
  


But I also saw . . . . threads. Trillions upon trillions of threads. It was the time-space of this universe. An insanely complicated quilt of life and nature. 

  
  


All Crayak's knowledge of space-time was now shattered. The few threads he had gathered to him were yanked from his grasp. Millions of years of effort wasted. We fell back, back from our test of wills, our war.

  
  


We materialized in normal space again.

  
  


We knew then, Crayak and I, that we could never make war again. Not open war, at least. The conflict would have to be carried on by different means. No longer a savage battle. Now it must be a chess game. There would be rules. Limits.

  
  


Floating around us were holograms of times the Ellimist interfered with my comrades. The time he "showed" them where the Kandrona was. The time he helped Tobias, Jara, and Ket. The time he took Elfangor, Tobias's father and Aximili's brother, away from his human life and put him back into the Andalite-Yeerk war. And to my surprise, the time he put me on the Dayang ship was also there.

  
  


Terra Firma is part of our game, Crayak's and mine. He would have the Yeerks absorb humans and later be absorbed by some still more vicious species, but Terra Firma is not the reason I have come to you now.

  
  


We were back in the auditorium now. Ellimist was the chick with braces.

  
  


"For millions of years we have played our game." The Ellimist said. "And we have lived within the rules, more or less. But now war threatens again. There is an impasse. A species I will not let Crayak take. A species he will not let me save. The species occupies a unique location in space-time. It is a turning point, and if Crayak can annihilate them, his power will grow, his goal become much closer, his forces become more deadly than ever."

  
  


"Including the Yeerks." Jake asked.

  
  


"Yes, including the Yeerks, who will benef-" Ellimist stopped in mid-sentence and looked at me, "benefit from changes we . . . I . . . cannot explain."

  
  


So what happens? Irresistible force and immoveable object? Tobias asked. Who gives? You or him?

  
  


"I will finish the story, and you will decide."

  
  


"Us?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Crayak and I have reached an agreement on a way to decide the issue. To decide the fate of the Iskoort race." The name sounded familiar. I think he mentioned them in his "you kissed Cassie" rant. "If Crayak wins, they will be attacked, subjugated, and annihilated by another species."

What species? Aximili asked.

  
  


"The Howlers. You've heard of them before."

  
  


"The guys who destroyed the Pemalites?" I blurted.

  
  


The Ellimist nodded. "Crayak and I have agreed to decide the issue by a contest of champions. His against mine. He has named the Howlers themselves, a group of eight. I am to pit my eight champions against his."

  
  


"What is this, a football game?" Cassie demanded.

  
  


"No, that would be eleven guys on the field, not eight."

  
  


"There are eight pawns in a chess game." I commented.

  
  


"Eight Howlers against my eight. The winners-the survivors-will determine the outcome."

  
  


"And this has to do with us?" Rachel asked ignorantly. 

  
  


"Oh, come on, Rachel." Marco said. "One . . . two . . . three, four, five, six, seven." He said as he counted each of us.

  
  


"That's seven." Cassie said. "He needs eight. We're just seven. That's not what he means. Is it?"

  
  


Ellimist was silent.

  
  


"Fuck." Cassie said. Cassie cursed! I'm rubbing off on her. "You want us,_ us_ to be your champions? To save these Iskrats?"

  
  


"Iskoort." the Ellimist corrected.

  
  


"I'm either honored or ticked off, I don't know which." Marco said hotly. "Oh, wait. I do know which, and it's not honored."

  
  


"Come on, Marco. This could be fun. You take things to personally." I said. 

  
  


"To quote another insane individual. 'Hello, Kettle? This is Pot. You're black.'"

  
  


I hate it when your own words are thrown back at you.

  
  


"This must be your choice." the Ellimist said. "Yours alone."

  
  


With that, Tobias, Aximili, and I found ourselves at The Scoop.

  
  


I had an hour to kill before Jake and the others got back from school. I had heard about the time that Jake was taken. Obviously, none of us knew what had really happened when his captor died. He saw this Crayak individual. Or at least one of its forms. It must have been frightening. 

  
  


I turned my attention to my little project. I had acquired a program that turned binary computer language into C++, or at least a mixed-up version of it. At least now I could actually read the damn thing. Unfortunately, this required a lot looking through the programming and deciphering Draque words written in phonetic English. My translator still worked, so I just said the words aloud and I understood them. Some of the major words I had to say were 'foker', 'maddafoker', and 'cauntfoker'. They always got looks from Tobias and Aximili.

  
  


By the way, they mean respectively 'input', 'audio input', and 'visual input'.

  
  


It lacked a sentience program, I noticed. I knew I couldn't write one, so I would have to somehow download it off of a Chee.

  
  


I would have to worry about that later. At two-thirty, the three of us flew to the Fortress of Attitude and waited for the others. Aximili and I waited in our human morphs. Tobias was Tobias. Once Cassie and the others arrived, Aximili demorphed and Tobias reported everything was clear. Marco decided to speak first.

  
  


"This is nuts! The most powerful creature in the galaxy, a guy who could make Earth disappear by just thinking about it, needs us to fight his battles for him?"

  
  


"Like we don't have enough to deal with?" Rachel agreed.

  
  


The only possible reason for doing this is if it helps us in some way. Aximili said. Enlightened self-interest.

  
  


"Despite his Skrit Nu like tendencies to put people on different planets or alien ships, the Ellimist seems to be rooting for us." I said.

  
  


I think you mean Skrit Na. Aximili stated politely.

  
  


"What's this about you and the Ellimist, David?" Marco asked.

  
  


_Just give them the Cliff's Notes version._ "He didn't like that I joined you guys, so he tested me on some ship full of Dayangs. I passed and I was sent home."

  
  


Dayangs? Aximili wondered. Not a controller species, but they often do business with the Yeerks.

  
  


"They were the ones who sold the Yeerks that Pemalite crystal. The one we busted our asses to get, remember?" Marco said.

  
  


"Can we stay on the subject, please?" Jake said exasperated. "The Ellimist approves of David. Yippie, the Ellimist is here to help us."

  
  


"He only helps himself. He's tricked us before." Rachel began. Jesus, I hate it when she rants. She sounds like Veruca Salt sometimes. "Told us one thing and done another. We know nothing about him. We don't know if the Ellimist is one guy or more than one. Half the time he says 'we', then he says 'I'."

  
  


I noticed that too. "Maybe he's like Venom or Legion." I commented.

  
  


"Who?"

  
  


"Venom is from _Spiderman_." Marco explains. "He calls himself 'we' because he's bonded to an alien symbiote."

  
  


Rachel and Cassie exchange glances.

  
  


"Don't ask. I don't know who Legion is though."

  
  


Legion is from the Bible. He called himself that because he had a legion of demons inside him. Jesus cured him. Tobias explained.

  
  


"Oh my God." Marco said to Tobias, then turned his gaze to me. "What the hell were you doing reading the Bible?"

  
  


"Listen, I really don't care what the Ellimist is." Rachel said with a look of annoyance at Tobias. "It's just that he's tricked us."

  
  


"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

  
  


"He said he would give Tobias what he wanted most. Instead he just gave him his morphing powers back. That's not what he wanted." Rachel yelled.

  
  


_My God, she's deluded._ "Right." I said sarcastically.

  
  


Rachel then gave me a very evil look. It's the same look Brett Taggart used to give me everytime I called him 'dickless'. She looked like she wanted to strangle me. 

  
  


"Hey!" Jake yelled. "Blondes with Bad Attitudes. In case you didn't notice we have to make a decision to make. The eight of us might be going against eight howlers before the day is done."

  
  


"Eight? I count seven." Marco noticed.

  
  


"I think I know who our seventh would be." Jake said.

  
  


"Erek?" Marco said with an eye-roll.

  
  


"Payback. Who else would care as much about hurting the Howlers?"

  
  


"He can't fight! He's an android programmed never to hurt anyone. He'd be a dead weight. And why are we talking about this like it's time to choose up teams?"

  
  


We hurt this Crayak, we hurt the Yeerks. Tobias said. The Ellimist loses, we lose.

  
  


"Wait a minute, Tobias." Rachel said. "You know I don't run from a fight-"

  
  


"To a fight maybe." Marco quiped.

  
  


"-but are we supposed to believe we're the Ellimist's only choice here? There's no one else in the entire galaxy who can go pound on these Howlers? Why us?"

  
  


Yes. Why us? Aximili agreed. Why not eight battle-trained Andalite Warriors?

  
  


"Excuse me? Like Andalites are badder than we are? What are we, wimps? Me in gorilla morph, you as you, let's go. We'll see who kicks whose butt."

  
  


"Marco," I started. "Before you get the chance to rip Aximili's arms off, which granted is like pulling tissues out of a carton, he'll turn your head into a really furry bowling ball, and you know it." Marco then started giving me a dirty look. Geez, I'm pissing off everyone today.

  
  


"Could we win?" Cassie asked suddenly. Drawing our focus on her and bringing the seriousness back to the debate, succeeding where Jake failed. "Could we win? Could we save an entire sentient species? And maybe help ourselves, too? Maybe weaken the Yeerks in some way only the Ellimist understands? Seems to me that's the question. I mean, you know, I'm not Rachel. I hate fighting, but the Ellimist put an entire species on the scale. An entire race. Maybe millions, maybe billions. And we're even asking ourselves if we should? How do you not at least try?"

  
  


"Iskoort." Marco said disgustedly. "Now it's our job to save Iskoort? What the hell is an Iskoort?"

  
  


We looked to Aximili. He shook his head. I've never heard of the Iskoort.

  
  


"I think," Jake started. "I think there may be something else going on here, with the Ellimist choosing us."

  
  


"The Ellimist said something about you seeing this Crayak." Marco said.

  
  


"I saw him. When the Yeerk died in my head, I saw him. And he saw me. And since then . . . since then I've had dreams."

  
  


"Dreams-dreams? Or Night-terror-scary-ass-wet-your-bed-nightmare-dreams?" I asked.

  
  


"Look, I . . . you know, dreams are weird. Like who knows if they're ever real? But these feel real. And in the dreams I see him. Crayak. I know this sounds crazy."

  
  


"Uh, Jake?" Marco said. "We've been over the line into crazy since Elfangor said, 'Hey, kids, wanna turn into animals?"

  
  


"I just feel like these dreams aren't totally dreams. I see him. And he sees me. And he says the same thing each time."

  
  


"What?" Cassie put a comforting hand on Jake's arm. Residual jealousy pecked at my stomach. "What does he say?"

  
  


"'Soon'. He just says 'Soon'."

  
  


And then all jealousy in the stomach fell in the pit that had just formed.

  
  


"Oookay." Marco said. "I felt _that_ chill go up my spine."

  
  


"So what does all this tell us?" Rachel demanded. "This Crayak already doesn't like us, so we go and fight his handpicked team? Maybe win? Then he loves us? I don't think so."

  
  


Side bets. Tobias said. The Ellimist and Crayak have their main event: Do the Iskoort live or die? But maybe there's some action on the side. Us. Maybe that's why he chose us. Maybe there's another level.

  
  


"What other level?" Rachel yelled frustrated.

  
  


"Read between lines, Psychobitch! Stop thinking about the Calvin Klein Summer line and pay attention." I yelled. I had pet names for all of them. "Obviously the Ellimist has gone through a lot of trouble to make sure the Animorphs exist. Somehow Elfangor's brother and son hook up with four other humans, one of whom is the son of Visser One's host. Coincidence? Fuck that! I don't think so. He's probably trying to prove how much of a fighting force he has. Conversely, Crayak already doesn't like Jake. He backs the Yeerks and the Howlers. Two very nasty races. If we, the Animorphs, are Ellimist's 'crowning achievement' as I'm starting to suspect we are, or at least you six are, Crayak will want to prove how full of shit Ellimist is. It's the Twelve Apostles versus Satan's demons. Whose gonna win?"

  
  


"David's right." Marco said. "We're talking Jedi versus Sith here."

  
  


"You always result to Star Wars references?" I asked.

  
  


"This from the guy who just two week ago referred to the North Pole as being 'Hoth cold', and the proceed to suggest we cut up Rachel's elephant morph and crawl inside like in _Empire_."

  
  


"Fuck you, man. It was cold. It was just an idea."

  
  


"I say we vote." Rachel said. "Go."

  
  


"Go." I said.

  
  


"Go." Cassie said.

  
  


Go. Tobias said.

  
  


Go. Aximili said.

  
  


"Go." Marco said.

  
  


"Go." Jake said.

  
  


"Unanimous." Marco said.

  
  


"No." Jake said, shaking his head. "We're going to be eight. It's not unanimous till Erek votes."

  
  


"Go." said a new voice. Erek.

  
  


"Well, if it isn't C3PO." I said. Marco gave me a look. "Ok, you're right. I do it too."

  
  


"You know what this is about?" Jake asked.

  
  


"I know what it's about." Erek said. The Android seemed to be emitting rage from his body. Orbin was right, this machine was engineered _just_ like a real person. 

  
  


_He must have some computer program for sentience_. I thought. I would worry about that later. 

  
  


"The Ellimist has brought me up to date." Erek continued. "If you'll have, I'll go. I want to go. I . . . I have to go."

  
  


"You can't fight." Rachel said. "No offense, but I'd rather go get Jara Hamee or one of the other free Hork-Bajir. Or like Ax said, an Andalite warrior. We need firepower."

  
  


"Yes, but that won't be enough." Erek argued. "You won't defeat the Howlers in one-on-one combat. They are too deadly. You'll need more than your morphs. You'll have to outthink them. And I know them. I know the Howlers."

  
  


**Have you chosen?**said a huge voice. 

  
  


"Yeah, but can you give us a few days to-" Jake started.

  
  


Strangers! Strangers! Sell me your memories, strangers! Sell them to me, I beg of you.

  
  


A pyramid-shaped vulture head peered at me.

  
  


"What the fuck is that?" I asked.

  
  


**That's an Iskoort. **said the Ellimist. **Your families will not know you have gone, but if you die . . . . **

  
  


"We get the idea."

  
  


"When does this fight start?" Jake cried.

  
  


**It has begun.**

  
  


"I feel like-"

  
  


"Throwing up. We know." Rachel and Marco said simultaneously.

***************************************************************************************


	22. Salt is Bad for You

  
  


Since I don't make money on this, I do not infringe on copyright laws. Just thought I'd share that.

  
  


*****************************************************************************

**_May 28, 19993:02 PM_**

  
  
  
  


Welcome to Lego Land.

  
  


I will buy your memories!

  
  


Come visit my execution parlor!

  
  


Give me your clothing and I will give you credit!

  
  


Here! Eat this larva! Let it gestate and we'll split the proceeds between your heirs!

  
  


You stink horribly! I will cleanse you!

  
  


Become my partner and we will sell your fur as a gachak poison!

  
  


Population: every fucking salesman in the known universe. These were the Iskoort. They had trianglar shaped heads with rounded edges, the point towards the top. Near the point, they had two stalk eyes, with irises pink in color. Their heads were an Aztec turquoise, including their small beaks. The beaks opened to revel a blue tongue and bluish white teeth. The heads were on off-white vulture necks which were on light purple shoulders. The shoulders were rectangular, but rounded at the edges. From the shoulders hung off-white arms, one on each side. The three-time jointed arms ended in a two-to-one opposable hand. The "thumbs" and outer fingers were claws. The inner fingers were tentacles. Their body was a pink accordion of flesh, making a sound like Janice's laugh on _Friends_. They had off-white legs that looked backwards. "Knees" to the ground, they crawled on their calves and feet pointed forward. Their feet had three toes. One long moveable toe in the middle and a claw on either side.

  
  


Not the kind of creature you'd buy something from.

  
  


Forgive us, strangers! the leader of the crowd said after Rachel asked to use the Ladies' room. We did not expect off-worlders today. Welcome to the City of Beauty! Do you require a guide? Do you wish to sell your memories, or perhaps any unnecessary body parts?

  
  


But beggars can't be choosers.

  
  


"You know, if they're serious about a guide . . ." Cassie said.

  
  


So we got Guide, Grub of Skin-seller, brother of Memory Wholesaler. Or Guide for short. In exchange for six inches of Rachel's hair. Let's just say Rachel was a little difficult during negotiations.

  
  


But as soon as we got Guide, a young iskoort, under control, Jake got us back on track looking for the eight howlers. 

  
  


"One question, right up front: Have you seen any other off-world strangers?" Jake asked Guide.

  
  


Off-worlders? Of course! The City of Beauty is temporary home to many, many off-worlders.

  
  


"Probably drawn here by the charm of the residents." Cassie said sarcastically. She was in a bad mood today. Maybe it was just that time of the month.

  
  


We're looking for members of a species called Howlers. Tobias said.

  
  


Guide's diaphragm whine dropped an octave. He was hiding something. This species is not known to me.

  
  


"Don't lie to us, Guide." Jake said forcefully. "Have you ever met an Andalite before?"

  
  


No.

  
  


"Well, Andalites have the power to mind-meld with people. They can look right inside their thoughts and know if they're lying, and if you are lying, they make your head explode."

  
  


"Dark side of the Force and all." I added.

  
  


Now Ax is a Vulcan? Tobias commented.

  
  


Howlers? Did you say Howlers? There may be one or two Howlers around.

  
  


"Try eight." Jake said. "Where are they? And do you know why they're here?"

  
  


They've come to trade, like all who visit our world. They trade memories for boda salts. Howler memories are very valuable.

  
  


"What do Boda salts do, Guide?" I asked.

  
  


In most species, when ingested, they increase your strength. They're also believed to be able to render most poisons and diseases impotent.

  
  


"Well that's just great."

  
  


"What's this memory stuff? You guys keep talking about buying memories. What's that all about?" Cassie asked.

  
  


You have never seen a memory show? Then that must be our first stop! It is the greatest of entertainments!

  
  


"Obviously, you don't get the Super Bowl here." Marco said.

  
  


"Or _Friends_ re-runs." I added.

  
  


"We always suspected the Howlers might have a collective memory." Erek said. "The Howlers may pass memory along, generation to generation."

  
  


Yes, yes. Guide agreed. This is why they command such a price. Their memories are long and clear.

  
  


"Guide, have you seen these Howler memories?" Cassie asked.

  
  


No. Not me. I am a Trader, a probationary member of the Guild of Traders. I am not interested in violence and killing and slaughter. No, it is the members of the Criminal Guild and the Warmaker Guild who buy Howler memories.

  
  


"We're not here to write a paper on the Iskoort." Jake said, royally annoyed. "We're here to take down eight Howlers so we can go home."

  
  


"It just seemed to me that if we have to have a battle," Cassie started, "we'd be better off if we knew where we were and what was going on."

  
  


"We need a place. A base of operations. We can't just stand out here in the open."

  
  


Then come, follow me! Guide said. I know the right place.

  
  


We walked down stairs to a new floor that had fields of yellow cylinders that Guide called energy storage. We walked a new flight of stairs to new floor, one with a mile-high ceiling. Iskoort with pale-white and pink colored heads were teaming to smaller buildings within this level. The buildings all had open fronts. 

  
  


"It's the mall." said the quintessential mallrat herself, Rachel. "A bazaar."

  
  


"Bizarre Bazaar." I commented.

  
  


Yes, this is the level seventy-eight marketplace. Guide said. We must move quickly here.

  
  


"What? No shopping?" Rachel said.

  
  


We reached the ground-level and turquoise-headed Iskoort started mobbing us to buy their goods or offer to buy ours.

  
  


"I see what you mean by moving quickly, Guide" Jake said.

  
  


What? No, no, not for these honest Traders. But this market is a favorite gathering place for members of the Warmaker Guild.

  
  


BOOM! A bony Iskoort head bashed into me. Several more of these Iskoort bashed the nine of us.

  
  


"Howlers!" I heard Jake yell.

  
  


_Howlers? Not hardly._ I thought as I, morphing all the way into Hork-bajir, used my strength and grabbed the Iskoort by the horns and threw him.

  
  


"Erek! Are these Howlers?" Jake asked as he kicked an Iskoort away.

  
  


"No. Of course not." Erek said calmly as an Iskoort head butted him. Marco, halfway morphed to gorilla and already demorphing, grabbed that Iskoort and threw him into his buddies. The aggressive Iskoort backed up. Five of them. One had only one arm that was bleeding off-white blood. It really didn't look right, if you know what I mean. 

  
  


Immediately I noticed that their heads were a different color. They were blood-red. (Well, human blood-red.) Their faces were shaped more like trapezoids then triangles. On the upper flat side of the trapezoid were two blunt horns. Their hands had long claws. As long as or longer than the tentacle. Their feet were flexed like grasshoppers.

  
  


These are Iskoort of the Warmaker Guild. This is why we must hurry. They don't like off-worlders.

  
  


They're going to like us a lot less if they try that again! Rachel said.

  
  


"Let's get out of here," Jake commanded. 

  
  


About half-an-hour and several run-ins with gangs of Warmakers later, we were a quarter way down a stairway 300 feet long and about 10 feet across when suddenly,

  
  


"Howler!" Erek yelled.

  
  


"Yeah, right." Marco commented. 

  
  


Erek's human projection was white with fright. A human expression. His projection must be on automatic. He pointed to a creature that was about a hundred feet down, walking up the staircase. The creature he fingered as a howler was the most humanoid creature I've seen. 

  
  


Two arms. Two legs. One head. No tail. Very humanoid. It stood about 5'11 maybe 6'. It walked as if it were a cowboy. Its arms were longer than its legs. It had five-to-one opposable hands. From the wrists, there was a flap of skin and bone that extended four hooked, steel claws. He appeared to have a bearing on his waist that would allow it to turn all the way around if needed. It's skin was black with red lines. It looked as if it were a made from cooled lava. 

  
  


"It looks like Dark Specter from _Power Rangers in Space_." I said. All of my human comrades (and ex-human comrades) looked at me strangely. "Not that I ever watched the show or anything."

  
  


Lastly, the creature had oddly beautiful eyes. Robin's egg blue. Each eye had a vertical iris of pale sky blue.

  
  


It saw us, but didn't seem to recognize us. The Howler wore a series of belts. On each belt was a weapon. He had many weapons. Beam weapons, projectile weapons, knives, boomerangs. The Yeerks felt that projectile weapons were primitive. Someone tell these guys.

  
  


I looked at Erek. His hologram was failing. He was losing control. The Howler focused on him. Of course, it knows a chee. The collective memory of the Howlers surely remembers the Chee. 

  
  


"Erek, get a grip." Jake said.

  
  


Erek stabilized his hologram, but still the Howler watched as it walked up.

  
  


"Seven against one, Jake." Rachel said. "We won't get better odds."

  
  


Jake pursed his lips as he made his decision. "Morph. Ax? You take the lead. David, morph and follow. Tobias? Get some altitude. Guide? Back off, this isn't your fight. Erek? Stay out of the way."

  
  


We started our morphs. Within forty seconds, my hork-bajir morph was complete. 

  
  


Aximili and I walked forward with Tobias in the sky. 

  
  


"You must be careful of the Howler's voice." Erek said. "His howl will paralyze you and numb your senses. If he gets close he'll use the needle teeth retracted into his upper and lower jaw. He's not as fast -"

  
  


Erek, Jake interrupted as he finished his morph, what did you say about paralyzing?

  
  


"It's the reason they're called Howlers, Jake. The voice. Be ready to --"

  
  


The Howler grabbed its beam weapon.

  
  


"Hhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrooooooooowwwwwwrrrrr!" Jake roared in tiger morph. Rachel was behind him in bear morph. Marco behind her in Gorilla. Cassie was close to the edge as a wolf. 

  
  


FWAP! Aximili sliced off the creature's hand. Its beam weapon falls to the floor, but already the hand starts to regenerate. I start slicing at its chest, but it starts defending itself with its claws.

  
  


David, watch out, I'm going to leap on him. Jake warned. The others backed him up.

  
  


Then the Howler replied.

  
  


"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-row"

  
  


It was unbearable. My very brain was violently vibrating. My eyes and ears bleed. 

  
  


"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-row" 

  
  


I ran. Hork-bajir blood seeped through the fingers clasps on the sides of my head. Aximili was running along with me. We stopped at the top of the stairs. I demorphed. I didn't see Guide anywhere.

  
  


That sound! That howl! It is too much! Aximili said to me.

  
  


"We've got to fight it Aximili." I said. My human head was hurting from the new howls. Even though they were relatively far away now. 

  
  


We can't Aximili said, still clutching his head. He sank down on his knees. Not an Andalilte thing to do. 

  
  


I slapped him. "On your hooves, Aristh!"

  
  


Aximili got up, and stared at me with three of his eyes. How can we defeat such a creature. The howls will destroy us.

  
  


"The howls are just sound. Maybe if we had a morph that was deaf." Than it hit me. After owning Spawn, I knew much about snakes. "Snakes. They don't hear conventionally. They hear through vibrations. Same as a cockroach. Do you have a snake morph?"

  
  


Rattlesnake.

  
  


"Me too. I hope a double dose of rattler venom is enough to take it down." 

  
  


They have those Boda salts, what if it doesn't work? Aximili warned. 

  
  


I did a fifty second morph to rattlesnake, Aximili was close behind me, well on his way to his rattlesnake morph. I'm going in. Follow me when you can.

  
  


I slithered down the stairs. The stairs were clear. All the Iskoort had ran away when the battle started. They wanted to get away from the howls. I slithered past Erek and into the battle. Marco, half-demorphed, was trying crawl his way up the stairs. 

  
  


"Jake, demorph!" Erek yelled. I saw pictures, but more importantly I sensed heat. My tongue sensed heat. I had to find the Howler and bite him. Give a dose of Terra Firman Poison.

  
  


Bodies moved around me, but I controlled the snake's instinct to just bite away at any movement it found threatening. I had to find the Howler. Fortunately, the Howler's body temperature was much higher than the other creatures.

  
  


"Cassie, he's trying to stab you. Rachel, the Howler is within three feet of the edge, to your edge. Demorph, Jake! Demorph! Do it now!"

  
  


I found the Howler's leg and got ready to bite. At the time, I didn't know what had happened next, but in retrospect, the Howler must have saw me.

  
  


It howled. "KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-row" 

  
  


_ATTACK! FROM EVERYWHERE! AT ONCE! DEFEND! DEFEND! MAYBE IT'S FOOD!_

  
  


For the life of me, I could not gain control of that morph. The howl, while not painful to the snake, confused the hell of it. 

  
  


Then the howl stopped, and when my senses regained, I saw why. Aximili had bit it in the leg. The Howler was about to slice Aximili off with his claws. 

  
  


Oh, no you don't! I bit him on the arm. Instantly, I found myself flying through the air. Still I hung on by my fangs. Then I got the feeling that I was being spun around. 

  
  


David! Cassie yelled. 

  
  


I was being spun around by the Howler. Soon the force was too much and I flew off ripping off one of my fangs in the process. It would remain in his arm. I hit a wall and fell. I was severely stunned. I swear to God, I saw stars. 

  
  


When I got my wits about me, I demorphed. I saw that I had made it to the floor. This floor of the marketplace had been abandoned. Due to the loud battle, no doubt. Stores were closed up. I walked to the stairs. I saw the Howler walk clumsily down. It grabbed what looked like a bottle from its side and open the top. The bottle was filled with little white cubes. The Howler was about to take one of the cubes, when it spotted me. 

  
  


It stared at me, and then it collapsed. And almost immediately, I smelled the stench. The Howler was dead. I took the bottle from his hand and capped it. "What was so important about this bottle, Howler?"

  
  


Guide and Erek walked down the stairs. Erek carried what appeared to be an unconscious tiger, but the tiger was slowly demorphing. Rachel and Marco were remorphed Grizzly and Gorrilla. Cassie was a human and ran alongside Erek holding Jake's paw. Tobias was in the air. Aximili walked behind. I ran along to Guide. 

  
  


"Where are you taking us, Guide?" I asked. 

  
  


A low-rent apartment. They should provide us with some protection.

  
  


We ended up in some room. The five of us who wore clothes stood around in our morphing outfits. Our regular clothes were shredded in the last battle. It was ok; the Iskoort Planet was very warm. Cassie coached a comatose Jake through his demorph. Now totally human, Jake was still unconscious, but not a nothlit. Aximili sulked away into a corner. I went to Guide and asked what was in the bottle I stole from the Howler.

  
  


You stole from the dead?! All possessions of the dead must be taken to the Law Enforcement Guild to divide among the heirs! 

  
  


"Shut up, and tell me what these are!"

  
  


Boda salts.

  
  


"The things that increase strength and make you invulnerable to poison and disease?"

  
  


Yes, but as you can see, its effectiveness in the Howlers was less than satisfactory. It could have unforseen side effects in humans!

  
  


"Maybe." I said. I decided not to eat it.

  
  


"Cassie! Look out!" Jake suddenly yelled. Marco and Rachel each grabbed one of Jake's arms.

  
  


"Chill, chill. It's okay, dude, fight's over." Marco said.

  
  


"Cassie?" Jake asked.

  
  


"I'm here." she said and hugged Jake from behind. "It's taken you a while to wake up. You barely demorphed in time then it was like you were in a come, like you weren't going to wake up at all."

  
  


I popped a salt in my mouth. It tasted like I ate a block of pure salt covered in earwax and cigarette ash. Felt better than the constricting feeling around my heart. I felt strangely fine afterward, though. 

  
  


Every time Jake and Cassie share some intimate moment, I feel a pit of jealousy. Not directed at Jake per se, because I find myself feeling similar feelings around Rachel and Tobias, and I know I have no strong feelings toward Rachel. Well, no strong _amicable_ feelings. So I can't just be that I used to be in love with Cassie.

  
  


I miss Stephanie. Plain and simple. Everytime I've battled for my life, aboard the _Rogin Gavic_, at that roadside attraction hell for animals, the meeting place of the Sharing where I was shrank to the size of a flea, in the barren wasteland of the North Pole, I found myself grateful to be near Cassie. 

  
  


And desperately wishing to be near Steph. 

  
  


"The Howler." Jake asked.

  
  


"Dead." Marco said. "And you almost could have said the same for us."

  
  


"How?"

  
  


"Ax and David nearly killed themselves by morphing rattlesnakes and bitting the Howler."

  
  


"Risky move, David." Jake said.

  
  


"It won't work on the whole group." I stated. "Only three of us have poisonous snake morphs. Even if the three of us sacrifice ourselves (and I guarantee, that's what it would be, a sacrifice) that still leaves four Howlers left. Even if we could get them one-on-one, with a collective memory, they won't fall for the same trick twice."

  
  


Jake looked to Guide. "You stick with us after that?" He asked.

  
  


Oh yes, yes, yes, I will be able to sell the memory of that battle for a small fortune! And if each of you would sell me your own unique perspectives, I could buy my own corner with the profits!

  
  


Jake turned to Cassie. "What's with him?" He said pointing to Ax who was sulking a corner.

  
  


"He ran away." Cassie answered. "He came back, but I guess that's not enough. He won't talk to anyone."

  
  


"Let him be for a while, then I'll talk to him." Jake said. "What is this place?"

  
  


"Some place Guide got for us. This room and a bathroom-well, I think it's a bathroom. Hope it's a bathroom."

  
  


Ewwww.

  
  


"Jake, this is what the Howlers are using." I said tossing him the bottle. "Boda salts."

  
  


"Ok, so?"

  
  


"So, we should take one. Have the same advantages they do. Guide says they can increase strength and give you invulnerability."

  
  


But they could also have some side-effect we're not aware of. Tobias said.

  
  


Jake thought this over. "Sorry, David. I'm with Tobias on this." Jake said. "We don't know what it could do to us."

  
  


"Stop being such pussies! I took one, I'm fine."

  
  


"You took one?!" 

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"You took one, without asking us?"

  
  


"What? Am I supposed to ask you every time I eat something? Fuck you!"

  
  


"David, I'm very tired of having this conversation with you, but when we are on a mission, you follow orders."

  
  


"You don't control me, Jake! Except that." 

  
  


"David," Cassie said to me, "we have no idea what these boda salts would do to a human. What if you go crazy and kill Ax, or Tobias, . . . . or me." 

  
  


_Well, shit, when you put it like that._

  
  


__"Jake, we should really try to decide what we want to do next." Cassie said.

  
  


"All in favor of telling the Ellimist to go do several of David's favorite words say 'aye'." Marco suggested. 

  
  


He wouldn't have put us here if we weren't at least theoretically capable of winning. Tobias said.

  
  


"Unless there's some other, deeper game the Ellimist is playing." Cassie said. "He's fighting a battle for entire species, entire planets. We're just pawns."

  
  


"Pawns can become Knights, bishops, rooks, even queens." I said.

  
  


"It's still a rotten, stinking deal." Rachel said. "We're leaving our own planet defenseless to save these Iskoort."

  
  


"I think Ellimist will drop us where we left off," I said, as if I were the fucking expert, "you know, assuming we survive."

  
  


"They're faster than we are, stronger than we are, better armed than we are, but are they smarter than we are?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Erek?" Jake prompted.

  
  


"They had faster-than-light ships at a time when humans still thought the wheel was a radical new invention." Erek said.

  
  


Doesn't make them smarter. Tobias said. The Ellimist said some species evolve quickly, others slowly. If you get a billion years' head start, of course you have better weapons and technology than a species that started later. Doesn't mean you're smarter. Maybe it just means you started earlier.

  
  


"Toby's smarter than most us. Doesn't change the fact she's still primitive." I brought up.

  
  


"Erek? Tell us all you know about the Howlers." Jake said.

  
  


"I only saw them from the point of view of the victims." Erek said. "I can use my holographic systems to recreate what I saw, but there may be a way to get even more information."

  
  


Yes! Guide said, bouncing up and down like a rabbit. Yes, of course. You could purchase Howler memories! I can load memories directly into your android friend, here, but they will be expensive. Guide opened a panel in the wall, and began typing away at a console.

  
  


"You're not getting anymore of my hair. Not a kidney or and arm, either." Rachel gripped.

  
  


"Take her ovaries. Please." I said, getting another dagger look from the psychobitch.

  
  


_Ok, no more pissing off Rachel, today._

  
  


__I will pay for you to view the Howler memories. Guide said. In exchange for harvesting your own memories.

  
  


"What is this memory-selling? Does it mean we lose our memories?" Jake asked.

  
  


Of course not. Why would it? We simply make a copy.

  
  


"They Xerox our memories?"

  
  


Can't do it. Tobias said. Those memories could end up reaching the Yeerks.

  
  


Jake turned to Aximili. "Ax? Ax!" Aximili was not answering, he was still lost in thought. "Ax, we need you."

  
  


He looked up.Yes, Prince Jake.

  
  


"How far are we to the closest Yeerk outpost?"

  
  


I . . . . I don't know where we are. I don't have a star chart.

  
  


Guide decided to be helpful and he pulled up a chart of what I believed to be his home system. Aximili zoomed out until we could see the arms of a spiral galaxy. Actually, _our_ spiral galaxy: The Milky Way. 

  
  


We are more than five million light years away from Earth. Aximili explained. Before the yeerks could spread a tenth of this distance they would have had to swallow not only Earth, but my planet as well.

  
  


Jake nodded and made the deal with Guide, who just about had a heart attack. I think we have just turned him into Bill Gates or George Lucas or someone to that effect. Erek interfaced with the panel Guide had been messing with since we got here. Even though, his hologram had been dropped, He could see that the downloading of the Howler memories into Erek had taken a toll with the android.

  
  


Jake asked to see a Howler attack. Erek, declining to show the slaughter of his creators, the Pemalites, he showed us an attack the Howlers made on a species called Graffen's Children. This particular attack happened around the late 1970's. 

  
  


Via Erek's hologram, we saw a rain forest. A forest filled with two-headed rodents. Worms with spikes and worms with feathers and wings. Rain forests are just plain weird. We then saw a creature, again, oddly humanoid. Blue, rough skin. Two arms, two very stiff and lumpy legs. Two eyes and a mouth. 

  
  


"Gumby" Jake commented. 

  
  


More creatures followed. A Howler hand came into view, several of us jerked in surprise. Of course, we were seeing this planet through Howler eyes. One of the Graffen's Children spotted the Howler and walked toward it with open arms. That's when the rest of the Howlers came. 

  
  


They howled. Erek filtered out the harmful sounds, but the poor creatures were hit full force. They began to blow apart!

  
  


"Erek, stop it!" Jake snapped. The hologram was gone. "I shouldn't have let you do this, Erek. Can you erase this stuff from your memory?"

  
  


"No Jake."

  
  


"I'm sorry." Jake said. "How much more did you absorb?"

  
  


Erek emitted his human hologram. Human expressions of terror and sadness marked his face. "I have memories of seventeen Howler attacks. All successful. They have never been defeated. They have attacked highly advanced civilizations and simple people like Graffen's Children. They have never taken a prisoner. They simply kill and kill and kill until there is no one left to kill. Then they go and find something else to kill."

  
  


"That's insane!" Cassie yelled. "No one does that. It doesn't make sense. There's no logic to it. You're not talking about predators who kill to eat, or prey animals who kill in self-defense. Even humans have reasons, no matter how sick. Even humans have limits. Why would evolution result in a species that kills for no apparent reason?"

  
  


"It wouldn't. It didn't." Erek said. "The howlers didn't evolve. They were created."

  
  


"Crayak." I said.

  
  


Erek confirmed. "Graffen's Children and dozens of species were annihilated by Crayak's Children."

  
  


I slept. Hard to sleep when you're dealing with a group of warriors who have never been beaten. True, we had killed one of them, but soldiers still die on successful missions. I wonder how many Howlers have ever actually died in battle, but eventually I slept.

  
  


The city lay in ruins.

  
  


I was in New York for some reason. The streets had been ripped apart, revealing the Yeerk Pool underneath. It was the Howlers. It was they who ripped the streets. The started blasting their Star-Trek-Phaser-looking Beam weapons into the pool itself, boiling Yeerks. Everywhere I saw carnage.

  
  


Howlers and Hork-Bajir locked claw-to-blade in mortal combat. Howler howls were bursting Taxxons and killing Gedds at an alarming rate. Humans were there too. Howlers were slicing, disintegrating, stabbing, any and all of the above methods of murder were being used to kill humans. 

  
  


I saw my parents. My best friend Jason. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. My entire family. Even my grandparents, which is odd because all four of them had died within the last three years of various illnesses. The Howlers had chased them into a large hole. The howlers then howled at them. All of my family members began to blow apart!! My father. My mother. My uncle Terrance on my dad's side who taught me how to swim. My cousin Magda on my mom's side who used to babysit me during those five months we lived in San Francisco. My cousin Kelly on my dad's side who has cystic fibrosis. All of them were blowing apart!

  
  


"No!!!"

  
  


Then he arose. Visser Three was there as a giant Dule Fansa. He stepped on Howlers and controllers alike to get to a small contingent of Howlers who were already firing beam weapons at him. The Visser let loose two powerful cones, exploding the asphalt it hit. But soon the Howlers overcame the Visser and them brought him down.

  
  


NO!!! I am the mighty Visser Three! You can't destroy me! No!!!!

  
  


David! We must go now! Aximili said to me. I looked up and saw Bird & Blue in their human morphs, but they were flying in the sky with the help of very large bird wings. 

  
  


Let's go, David! Hurry! Tobias said as he flew off. The two of them flew over a church. A couple of angels flying over a church, but the cross was different. Instead of Jesus nailed to it, the Ellimist as the silver-haired human was their instead.

  
  


"That's not right." I said confused.

  
  


"David, let's go." Jake yelled at me. Jake was carrying an unconscious Cassie. His skin was orange with black stripes. "We have to go, the Howlers are annihilating all of us. Cassie! Wake up!"

  
  


"David?" 

  
  


I turned around. Stephanie was running toward me. There was a large red eye following her. Closing on her. Crayak.

  
  


"Stephanie! Watch out!" I yelled as the Crayak caught up to her. Crayak's eye opened into a row of razor-sharp, steel teeth. He opened his mouth over Steph. He bit down. WHAM!!!!!

  
  


"Stephanie!!!" I yelled, but I yelled it out in the dark. I was in an Iskoort Apartment. Everyone else was up, almost as if they had the same dream I did.

  
  


WHAM!! Something was banging against the latched door. Oh, _them_. The door held, amazingly.

  
  


See! Guide said triumphantly. I told you-

  
  


TSEEEEW! A red circle appeared in the door. They were trying to burn their way in.

  
  


"Oh no you don't!!!!!" I yelled as I bashed the door down with my human shoulder. 

  
  


"David!" Cassie yelled.

  
  


"David, stop!!!" Jake yelled.

  
  


I flew myself at the nearest Howler. I was a rattlesnake before the Howler caught me and sent himself with me overboard. 

  
  


We fell. I bit him in the neck. After a good ten seconds of falling we landed on some kind of ground. We were both stunned, but alive. The Howler walked toward me, towering over me. The venom didn't seem to be working. He aimed his Dart weapon at me, but then the Howler started getting smaller. 

  
  


No . . I was getting bigger. I was _demorphing_? Now? No! I was going Hork-Bajir. _How is that possible??_ I tried to talk, but hissing came out. I was a Hork-Bajir with a snake head!!! The Howler howled at me. _ENEMY! STRIKE!!! _said my snake instincts (or was it Hork-Bajir?). 

  
  


I rushed after the Howler with my blades. It defended itself with its claws. I snapped my snake head and broke a fang on his head. Immediately, I noticed an error. It was dark, and neither snakes nor Hork-Bajir see well in the dark. I couldn't defend myself against the Howler and it started taking chunks of my flesh away.

  
  


Suddenly I could see. I couldn't understand it. It was as if someone had turned on a light. My Hork-Bajir flesh was growing back. I was healing myself! I was fighting with a vigor I had never experienced before. It was like I was on fucking steroids! Between my blades and my ever-snapping fangs, the howler had a hard time getting a hold of me. 

  
  


But the Howler found a way. I snapped my head too far, and a kick from the Howler sent me falling into the ground. I laid their on my back, my limp hork-bajir tail offering no protection from the twin knifes of the Howler that would skewer each one of my hearts.

  
  


FWAP! My hork-bajir tail sliced off both of the Howler's hands. What? My hork-bajir tail can't do that! All at once, I had two stalk eyes looking down my back. It was an Andalite tail that severed the Howler's now-reforming hands. 

  
  


_What's happening to me? I can't mix-and-match morph like this!!!_ Four Dayang tentacles sprouted out of my back and wrapped itself around the Howler. I threw him about four yards. I got up and the tentacles slurped back into my back. Bad enough I was fighting this thing one-on-one, but now I had lost control of my morphing. _It was those damn boda salts!!_ I realized. My legs had changed again. Familiar legs. Human legs.

  
  


_My legs?_ I wondered, but no. They were larger and had darker skin. African Male. The police officer I acquired. The Howler fought me claw-to-blade similar to that in my dream. As long as my head remained serpentine, it would not use its howls. 

  
  


Our fight seemed to be a stalemate. I had Hork-Bajir blades on my arms. An Andalite tail. Andalite stalk eyes, and what I assumed to be owl eyes on my serpentine head. I had lost my fangs, my face grew a beak (Eagle or otherwise, I couldn't tell you). My human legs grew feathers. Then my back grew a hard shell. It opened up to reveal large gossamer wings that actually started to lift me up slightly. 

  
  


_Cockroach wings? They could barely lift a cockroach!_ Still, just because I had morphed a cockroach shell, don't mean these are cockroach wings. Due to my crazy morphing, they could be either fly wings or the wings of that dragonfly I acquired the other day. 

  
  


I got control of my new body parts and continued fighting. The Howler was winning points, but got no closer to victory. Again, due to my out-of-control morphing, every skin cell it ripped, every bone it broke, every internal organ it '-ectomyed', grew back.

  
  


Then it happened. I felt my head change. Something furry. Something with good hearing. It could be any number of things I acquired from the forest: raccoon, fox, beaver, chipmunk, hedgehog, squirrel. My head was also shrinking. I think it was when the big-ass deer antlers flew out of my shrinking head that howler thought it would be a good time to howl. 

  
  


Funny, my first instinct was that I had frightened it. 

  
  


The howls sent me back against a wall of some sort. The wall had a large opening. A window. The Howler fired a gun with a very large barrel and hit me with some kind of gas bomb. Whatever the gas was, I didn't stick around to find out. The impact of the large pellet itself sent me flying out that window. I landed into a pool about fifty feet down. My body began to sink. It was my antlers and stalk eyes. They were weighing down my head which, from what I gathered from my reflection I saw in the water moments before I hit it, was raccoon. 

  
  


I began to suffocate. In response my body started to change again. My Hork-Bajir arms and torso started growing denticles. Shark scales. Antlers retracted but stalk eyes remained. My head changed. A dorsal fin rose up between my cockroach shell. Oddly enough, my wings (which were most likely dragonfly) remained dry underneath. My Andalite tail became a shark tail fin, but kept the Andalite bone-blade between the two fins. From my Hork-bajir shoulders grew large flippers. They were rubbery. Either dolphin or orca. My head was completely hammer head save the andalite stalk eyes. I could breathe. The gills had saved me. I began to swim. My shark tail and marine mammal flippers got me through the water at a very good speed. I was an experienced enough swimmer to know that my Hork-Bajir arms and half-human half-bird legs were causing drag. My legs were birdie enough that I could hold them up to my body as if I were flying. As for my arms, I started doing the breaststroke arm stroke and I actually increased my speed. 

  
  


I figured I had somehow landed in the Iskoort plumbing. Sooner or later I would end up at another one of their scenic pools. I could get out then. After a few minutes of swimming peacefully, I started to wonder _how long do I have left in morph?_. Was my morph time affected by all the rapid morphing? I found one of the pools and was about to just leap out when I thought differently. 

  
  


_Is it safe?_ I thought. I came up with a really silly idea. I floated to right below the surface. I raised one stalk eye above water level. A very comically periscope. I saw that the sun had risen over the Iskoort world. I saw a large, off-white, pyramid with a neon-rainbow-colored archway. 

  
  


_No Howlers_. I sank down and then rocketed up toward the surface. I shot out of the water like a dolphin. Immediately, my gills ached for air. I tried breathing using the Hork-Bajir lungs I still had, but they weren't working properly. 

  
  


Nonetheless I opened up my cockroach shell and spread my wings. I flew. I could actually fly. Oversized dragonfly wings plus about 300 lbs of support/weight still equaled flight. I flew toward the pyramid. I decided I wanted to land through that opened window. It wasn't until to late that I noticed that the window was in fact, not opened.

  
  


CRAAAAASSSHH! Once my Hork-bajir blades and bladed shark tail made little nicks in the plastic window, the rest of my weight shredded it. I landed on a red carpeted floor. Two slender and very purplish Iskoort came to me. 

  
  


My my! Do you need some help? Maybe a medic and some food?

  
  


We can take you over to the sick bay where you'll be treated by our best doctors!

  
  


A gaggle of creatures came around the corner with two more servant iskoort.

  
  


"No. We don't want any food." said a familiar authoritative voice. "Just the room, but if you hear any news about an off-worlder who looks like us and can change his shape, can you te-"

  
  


The small gaggle of familiar creatures stopped when they saw me.

  
  


Hey guys. I said.

  
  


"David?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"What the hell happened to you?" Rachel asked.

  
  


Long story. I'll tell you later. Is everyone all right?

  
  


"Now that we have you, everyone is accounted for." Jake said.

  
  


"How are you feeling, David?" Cassie asked. 

  
  


Like shit. What's going on?

  
  


"Oh, we're fine considering that we still have to kill seven monsters to protect a bunch of people who happen to be Yeerks!" Marco stated.

  
  


I blinked my stalk eyes. Shark eyes don't blink. Ok. You're telling your story first.


	23. One World's Worth

  
  


Man, things are getting strange.

  
  


So, I shall conclude the events of "The Attack" in this chapter. I have gotten a few reviews saying they're bored and I should just skip all of this horse-shit and just do #54. Well if I did, you guys would be going "What the f**?!! When did that happen?!!! Ohmygawd! I don't understand what the hell's going on!!! What the hell's an Ulterk?!!!" So I don't.

  
  


So since I'm a stubborn jerk who wants my art to stay intact I will go through however many books I choose!!!!

  
  


But since I also have neither a backbone nor artistic integrity, I will be shorting them to important parts.

  
  


However, still expect long chapters revolving around our favorite misfit, especially when they are original adventures.

  
  


No, not Aftran-David!!

  
  


Although, now that you mention it. ;)

  
  


'Til next we meet.

  
  


Augustine Quill

  
  


PS-Yes, I will be introducing Stephanie, but not today.

  
  


*********************************************************************************

**_May 29, 19994:29 AM_**

  
  
  
  


In the early morning sunrise of the Iskoort Home World, our fellowship of nine rest inside a room of the Servant Guild Temple. We were hiding. We couldn't hide for long. We had to assassinate the seven remaining Howlers before the vice versa. 

  
  


Poor Cassie. She had it rough right then. She had to keep the others from killing Guide out of frustration while coaxing me out of my mix-and-match morph. 

  
  


Limited success.

  
  


"You've been in morph for over three hours, David." Cassie realized. "Whatever these boda salts are doing to you, they seem to make you immune to nothlitism."

  
  


"My arms are different colors."

  
  


"One's your real arm. The other is just your composite morph. Focus on the real you."

  
  


With much more effort than I think should have been necessary, my darker arm matched my true, paler skin. I was now, more or less demorphed. More or less because I still had a lion's mane and my face was fairly feline.

  
  


"I look like Vincent from _Beauty and the Beast_." 

  
  


"Who?" Marco asked.

  
  


"Late 80's drama. Don't ask."

  
  


"Ax, do you know if David can stuck in one of these half-morphs?" Cassie asked.

  
  


I am unsure. Aximili said turning one stalk eye on us. One stalk eye remained scanning. His main eyes stayed nailed to Guide. The effect of the Boda salts on David's morphing is odd. But Erek's chemical analysis of the salts has led me to one theory: the boda salts are reacting adversely to the protimus capsules in his body, most likely within his circulatory system. The Protimus capsules, of course, store the acquired DNA of a morph. Agitation is causing constant cellular cascading, making nothlitism impossible. The agitation is most likely brought about by stress or extreme emotion, similar to Rachel's allergy problem.

  
  


At that moment, I sneezed and eagle wings popped out of my back.

  
  


"Hey. When I was wacky morphing, I morphed full animals or at least one animal at a time. David came in here looking like a mad scientist's experiment. He hasn't stopping oozing animal parts for the last twenty minutes."

  
  


"Guys, leave David alone. I've almost got him all the way human, but he has to remain calm."

  
  


"Fine." Jake said. "Let's talk to Guide. You better talk, and talk fast."

  
  


What do you want from me? 

  
  


"We're a bazillion miles from home, clear across the galaxy, and all of a sudden we find out you Iskoort are Yeerks. Excuse us for being suspicious."

  
  


We are not Yeerks. We are Iskoort.

  
  


Eagle wings and lionlike face shrink back into human skin. My human skin. Yoort, Yeerk, that's pretty close. Tobias said flaring his wings. And you both live off Kandrona rays.

  
  


Yes, we feed on Kandrona rays, but we are Iskoort, not these Yeerks you despise.

  
  


"You still enslave others you piece of-"I stopped because my face jutted out. Rubbery. Dolphin. I'll be over there, calming down and shutting my mouth.

  
  


"I say we tell the Ellimist to find some other pawns. We're not helping save a bunch of Yeerks. The Howlers can have them." Rachel grunted.

  
  


"Guide, tell me something." Cassie said position herself between him and Aximili. "What do you know about the history of your people? Going way back to the beginning?"

  
  


Guide blinked a few times. My translator implant offered no interpretations of Iskoort gestures. I suppose it just isn't in the memory banks or something. 

  
  


We . . . we iskoort . . . I mean, back many, many generations, the yoort were parasites, as you said. They infested other species, but that was long ago. Since, we formed our symbiotes, the combination of Isk and Yoort, we have been as we are now.

  
  


"They conquered these Isk things and now it's like okay, we're best buddies." Rachel said with a snort. "Big deal."

  
  


"Some stranger shows up on Earth a thousand years after the Yeerks conquer Earth, the Yeerks will be saying 'Hey, us and the humans are symbiotes.'" Marco said with agreement from all of us.

  
  


No. No. I have not made myself clear. Guide protested. The Isk were not conquered by the Yoort. They were created.

  
  


"Say what?"

  
  


Parasitism is a limiting choice. The Yoort moved violently to conquer other species and infest them, but this was not profitable, not in the long haul.

  
  


"Did he just say it wasn't 'profitable'?" I asked incredulously.

  
  


Guide continued. So the Yoort used biological engineering techniques to design and create a species specifically to be a symbiote.

  
  


Who cares how you did it? Tobias argued. So you build the Isk and then enslave them.

  
  


No, no. Guide continued as my dolphin beak and lion mane were replaced by human parts. The Isk were true symbiotes. The Isk cannot live without Yoort, and to ensure that this symbiosis would be real, the Yoort, too, were modified. Now Yoort cannot live without Isk and Isk cannot live without Yoort. They are one creature with two parts.

  
  


I was fully human, but the shock of what Guide was saying sent temporary snake scales across my goosebumps.

  
  


"Oh, my God." Cassie said, breaking the silence. "Of course. It's the way. The only way. Parasite becomes symbiote. No more infestation. They create the next step in their own evolution and become true symbiotes."

  
  


"No more war." Erek said. "No more need to conquer new species, to infest and enslave."

  
  


"The Yeerks don't know about this." Cassie said. "Even the Yeerks who want peace cannot imagine a way out, a way to end the cycle of conquest."

  
  


These Yoort could be related to the Yeerks. Aximili theorized. They may be the same species, somehow separated long ago, perhaps carried by from the Yeerk home world by some forgotten race.

  
  


If the Yeerks knew . . . if the Iskoort ever made contact with the Yeerks . . . Tobias said.

  
  


Holy fucking shit. Wait. Do I smell shit? No, more like mothballs.

  
  


"Poison!" Rachel shouted. "Like bug poison."

  
  


Howlers! Tobias shouted.

  
  


Shit. We couldn't use bug morphs. 

  
  


"Guide! Windows?" Jake asked tersely.

  
  


Yes, there are windows concealed. I can open them by-

  
  


"Not yet. We go airborne. Stay calm. Morph to bird. Guide, when I say, open the windows. Not before. The Howlers won't come in till they're sure they've spread enough poison. Cassie, help David."

  
  


The sudden attack by the howlers had caused me to grow green fur on my arms. Cassie helped me focus on my eagle morph. I finished the morph slowly, but without problems. I was 100% eagle.

  
  


Guide, how high up are we? Jake asked.

  
  


Perhaps five times your own height.

  
  


Okay. Erek, we don't know if any Howler is sitting outside the window. Maybe yes, maybe no. Can you jump through it, push whomever's there out of the way?

  
  


"No, Jake. I can hear the Howlers. I know they're out there. If I go through that window I might harm--"

  
  


Wouldn't want that. Marco sneered. We wouldn't want-

  
  


Shut up, Marco. Jake commanded. Erek, can you project a hologram through another window? A hologram of us?

  
  


"Absolutely. There would be no harm to the Howlers, and it might save you."

  
  


You say that like it's a bonus.I grumbled.

  
  


Guide, open a window on the far side of room, count to three, and open this one over here. Guide, Erek? We hook up two levels down, near the stairs. Everyone ready?

  
  


Two levels down? Guide said fairly alarmed.

  
  


Two servant iskoort came in. Is there a problem? Are those guests clinging to the outside of the building disturbing your rest?

  
  


Make it fast. Tobias warned. Birds don't tolerate poison much better than bugs do.

  
  


Point taken. On three. One, two, NOW!

  
  


What happened to 'three'?I asked.

  
  


Jake ignored me and the seven of us took off outside one window while a hologram of us left another. The Howlers fired like idiots before they realized they were firing at light shapes.

  
  


But it wasn't long before they caught on. Rachel was hit first. Then me.

  
  


Aggghhh! Son of a bitch!! I yelled. Unfortunately my little profanity caused my tail to change. Light and furry. Squirrel. Nice, except I couldn't fucking steer!!!

  
  


Down, Down, Down!!Jake yelled.

  
  


I flapped my wings to steer, but it wasn't as precise as my tail feathers. I was beginning to lose track of the guys. I was getting frustrated. That's when my beak grew a horn. 

  
  


No! NO! NO! NO! NO! I yelled as I crashed into the ground. I concentrated on shrinking my nose and getting my tail feathers back.

  
  


They can't kill the Iskoort! I heard Jake yell. Use the Iskoort for cover.

  
  


Several Iskoort were crowding around me. _Thanks Jake. I'll keep that in mind._ Cassie flew down to me. Are you okay? Focus on the eagle. The beak. The tail feathers. Don't faff around.

  
  


What the hell does 'faff' mean? Ignoring my question, Cassie coached me through to full eagle. I'm fine. We need to haul ass, now! We lifted ourselves away from the Iskoort.

  
  


TSEEWWW! TSEEEEEWWW! The Howler Beam Weapon! 

  
  


Aggggghhhh! Cassie yelled. She was hit! Her wing was gone and her body charred.

  
  


Cassie!! I yelled. A Howler came running to collect his kill. Cassie?

  
  


I'm fine. I'll. . . .you know . . . demorph.

  
  


The Howler was closing in on her. I had to make a dive for her. I dove!

  
  


I went whizzing through the air at 120 miles an hour, but I was not going fast enough. The Howler would reach her. Then kill her. _No I must reach her!! _But how? The Golden Eagle is one of the fastest diving birds. The only thing faster would be the falcon or the . . . . .

  
  


_I'm shrinking! And I'm going faster! I'm going to make it. _Here I come Cassie! But how? I was still bird. Did I simply shrink? No. I was small. I was fast. 

  
  


I was the Merlin!!

  
  


I grabbed Cassie and lifted her seconds before the Howler jabbed his claws to the ground.

  
  


Here's a newsflash: Merlins cannot lift ospreys. I shouldn't have been able to lift her at all, but I think the boda salts made me stronger like they were supposed to. However, I was still losing altitude fast when suddenly, I was stronger. Bigger too. I was back in Golden Eagle mode. 

  
  


Yee-haw! Hold on Cassie. Let's find the others. I shouted. Maybe these boda salts weren't so bad. _Nah. I'll be glad when I'm not mix-and-match morphing. _I almost got Cassie killed because of my problem. Thank God that said problem also allowed me to correct my mistake. And I seem to be getting the hang of it. I morphed two full animals in a row and when they were necessary. Still, I'll be glad when I'm rid of these damn things.

  
  


I had to look for a safe place. I noticed the Iskoort were clearing the walkway for a group of Warmaker Iskoort. This particular gang wore bandanas on it. Bandanas with pictures of . . . . .Sailor Moon???

  
  


I flew into the gang of Warmaker Iskoort and was greeted by Erek, Guide, and the other Animorphs minus Jake.

  
  


Sailor Moon? I asked.

  
  


"Rachel's idea." Marco said.

  
  


Yeah, no doubt. Help me with Cassie. Cassie, you can demorph, now!

  
  


For once it was the rest of us coaching Cassie out of a morph. It was slow, but she made it of course. I demorphed too, but I couldn't get rid of some of the feathers. Or the racoon tail. I was nervous. Guide had led us to an abandoned factory filled with dusty, weird-looking machinery.

  
  


"Where's Jake?" Cassie asked immediately upon demorphing. 

  
  


"That's fucking gratitude for ya." I said in a joking tone, but Cassie still shot me a look of awkwardness and apology. 

  
  


I saw Prince Jake go over the edge. Aximili said.

  
  


Over the edge? That's like jumping off of Mount Everest and landing in the Grand Canyon. "Is he . . . ?" Rachel asked.

  
  


No. Tobias said harshly. I'm going to find him.

  
  


"I'll go with you."

  
  


No. If the Howlers attack, you'll need maximum firepower here. I'll go alone. Tobias flew off. 

  
  


"So . . . where are we, Guide?" Marco asked.

  
  


We are in a factory that is temporarily out of service. The Worker Guild refuses to come back to work here until the Superstition and Magic Guild certifies that the factory is free off the spirts of fictional characters.

  
  


The six of us blinked several times. "I'm sorry. What?" I asked.

  
  


The simple folk believe that fictional characters are at least partly real and thus have spirits who wander the city and engage in various delinquencies. The Superstition and Magic Guild are called to handle the situation, but negotiations with the Worker's Guild are at a standstill.

  
  


"I'm sorry I asked." I said, laughing, picking up some kind of metal can, tossing it up in the air, and catching it. I noticed my feathers and tail were gone. I guess laughter is the best medicine. No mis-match parts.

  
  


Prince Jake! Aximili yelled.

  
  


Jake stood there looking ragged, and that's when he and Cassie rushed into each other's arms and kissed.

  
  


"It's about time." Rachel said.

  
  


I crushed the can in my hand, subconsciously. I noticed my vision changed. I grew snake fangs and a scorpion tail. My oversized arachnid tail knocked over the nearest machine. Denticles covered my arms. Scales covered my back.

  
  


I remember saying how rage was like an acid that ate your heart.

  
  


Yeah well, if rage is phosphoric, jealousy is sulfuric. I instinctively morphed cold-blooded animals. I tried to let it pass and not let the others see my change. Tobias and Aximili saw it. Rachel and Marco missed it. Erek didn't see it. Guide may have. I didn't care.

  
  


_Focus. Concentrate on being you. Do not let the mighty Jake see you fuck up! _ Marco was trying to solicit a kiss from Rachel. I ignored them and concentrated on staying human. Denticles receded. Scales disappeared. Fangs retracted. Eyes became normal once more. I was normal. Except for that scorpion tail.

  
  


Guide had been talking . . . but the Worker Guild cannot agree on a price, so . . .

  
  


"Makes perfect sense." Jake said.

  
  


"In a loony bin." Rachel amended.

  
  


"David, is there a problem?" Jake asked me. 

  
  


"Um . . . not really." I lied.

  
  


"Whoa! You acquired a scorpion? Where did you find a scorpion?" Marco asked.

  
  


"At the circus. Where do you think I got it? The Gardens, moron!" I yelled as my face jutted out again. God Dammit!

  
  


David's been acquiring a lot of forest animals, but lately he's been flying off to the Gardens. Tobias said.

  
  


"What kind of animals have you been acquiring?" Jake asked.

  
  


My face became normal. Still had a scorpion tail. "Just a few of our four-legged friends. Raccoon, wolf, fox, beaver, hedgehog, chipmunk, squirrel, bobcat, bat, vole . . . what was the small red bird?"

  
  


Robin. Tobias answered.

  
  


"Oh yeah. Bat, vole, robin, . . . no vole then bat and robin, . . . wait a minute."

  
  


"Continue." Jake said.

  
  


"Uh . . . rabbit, skunk, deer, and owl. And that's when the Ellimist abducted me and but me on the Dayang ship."

  
  


You acquired a Dayang? Aximili asked. 

  
  


"And a Dibulob. Don't ask."

  
  


"What next?"

  
  


"Um . . . I did a frolis and created my 'Big Mama' morph. Oh yeah, then I acquired that small spider. Tobias then showed where I could find a bigger spider."

  
  


"Tobias?"

  
  


What? The dude is a comic fanboy. The guy is obsessed with Spider-man, Batman, and Spawn. The minute I mentioned 'wolf spider' . . . .

  
  


"I get it." Jake said, exasperated "Do you have any dangerous animals we should be worried about?"

  
  


"Well that's the thing, after I acquired the wolf spider, I got curious and went to the insect/arachnid house at the Gardens."

  
  


"What species?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Black Widow. Brown Recluse. Tarantula." I said as my scorpion tail knocked over another piece of machinary. "Oh yeah, and a King Scorpion."

  
  


"Anything else?" Jake asked.

  
  


"Dangerous-wise, the polar bear, but, Dudes, I'm getting the hang of this." My scorpion tail knocked over another machine. "Stop that!!" I yelled, instantly my arm turned into a fly leg. 

  
  


"Oh good. David's getting the hang of it. I feel better." Marco said.

  
  


"You're lucky flies don't have fingers."

  
  


How are we going to kill six Howlers with this clown college? Tobias muttered.

  
  


"Six? What happened to seven?" Erek asked.

  
  


"He's taken care of." Jake said. "I also have a new morph."

  
  


Yeah? Tobias asked. My fly arm was become human, my scorpion tail was shrinking away.

  
  


"Yeah. On the way . . . on the way down, I acquired the Howler. It's not enough, but it may give us an edge. If we have an overall plan."

  
  


"Do you have a plan?" Erek asked.

  
  


Jake shrugged. "Yeah. I guess I do."

  
  


"Kiss him again, Cassie. It seems to help." Marco said.

  
  


My fly arm came back. God Dammit!

  
  


Jake formulated our plan. Guide, worrying that we might die was finally appeased by a schematic of Erek's hologram emitters. I tried to get a peek at the schematic, but no luck. Guide led us to floor full of shopper Iskoort aka mallrat Iskoort. We hid in a vacant store. 

  
  


"How do we get the word to the Howlers that we're here?" Jake asked.

  
  


I have only to mention it to a member of the News, Gossip, and Speculation Guild.

  
  


This is quite a little lunatic asylum the Ellimist wants us to save. Tobias said. Lego Land meets Dr. Seuss with a population made up of whining nutbags -- no offense, Guide -- who think shopping and gossiping are careers.

  
  


"I wonder if there's an entertainment guild." I asked.

  
  


"Okay, let's get this in gear." Jake commanded. "Guide? We have the memory players?"

  
  


Yes, of course.

  
  


"Ax? You ready?"

  
  


Yes, Prince Jake.

  
  


"Don't call me Prince. And come here for a minute."

  
  


Jake talked to Aximili, probably about how he ran off. I wasn't bothered by it. On the other hand, I'm not trying to escape my older brother's shadow.

  
  
  
  


We waited. We waited for about forty minutes. Aximili walked down the street. He would be our bait. Tobias was once again our eyes in the sky. He's almost there. The Howlers are sticking together. Not as cocky as they were, though. They should spot him any second now. Any second now. . . . What are they, blind? Ax is getting awfully close. The crowd is blocking their view of him. Too many Iskoort in the way. Oh, man! He's too . . . . They see him! Ax-man, run! Run!

  
  


"It's time." Jake said. "I have to do this."

  
  


Part of our plan was for Jake to morph the Howler. Yeah, I know, "are you nuts??". Well, it was necessary, since Erek would not use holographic technology. Besides, he was more useful as a shield. 

  
  


We were cautious. Rachel was in grizzly morph. Her gigantic claws that would scare the pimples off a football player's butt rested on Jake's shoulders.

  
  


Marco in gorilla morph, Cassie in wolf morph, and I were on standby. I was in lion morph, but my nervousness had caused small Hork-bajir blades to appear on my forearms. I also had elbow blades . . . . and an Andalite tail. All of us were ready to pounce just in case.

  
  


"Rachel, you know what to do." Jake warned. "If I get out of control, can't control the morph. If I start that howl . . . you'll have to do it." Jake started his morph.

  
  


They're on him! Tobias yelled. All six of them. Like hounds after a rabbit. Man! That boy can run! Ax-man! Opening to your right! 

  
  


Jake's body segmented until you could see his spine. His spine turned a metallic color and filled in. His skin turned black and red. Jake's morph was complete. The four of us were tense. Would he attack us?

  
  


You can let me go. Jake said finally.

  
  


Are you sure? Rachel asked.

  
  


Yeah. This thing isn't out of control. It's like . . . it's a game.

  
  


What is? Cassie asked.

  
  


The Howlers. The killing. It's a game to them. They're having fun. They're enjoying it. Like when dolphin leap into the air just for the fun of it and play follow the leader, it's a game.

  
  


Fuck that! Don't they realize they are killing people? Ending lives?

  
  


No. They don't know what they're doing. They . . . . aren't adults. The Howlers are all children.

  
  


Here they come! Tobias yelled. Thirty seconds. If--

  
  


Children, my ass. Rachel said. They're murderers!

  
  


They're what Crayak made them. Jake explained. They have a life span of three years. They have no mature phase. They don't reproduce; they're grown in a factory. There are no adult Howlers. Did you know? Jake asked of Erek.

  
  


"Before? No."

  
  


When you absorbed Howler memories, did you realize they are children?

  
  


"They slaughtered my creators." Erek replied.

  
  


What the fuck does that mean? I asked.

  
  


He doesn't care. Cassie interpreted.

  
  


Crowd is thinning out, Ax-man! Tobias shouted. They're gonna have a shot!

  
  


So what, we let them walk away, just because they're not adults? Marco demanded.

  
  


It's not going to be up to us. Jake said. If the plan works, Crayak will --

  
  


It's not just Crayak. Cassie said. We're the ones forcing the --

  
  


We heard the dart weapons fire right outside our door. Aaahhh! Ax yelled in pain.

  
  


He's hit! Tobias shouted.

  
  


"Juveniles or adults, they massacred my creators. They made refugees of the Chee, they murdered my world." Erek said through gritted teeth.

  
  


No choice, man. Marco said.

  
  


They don't know. Jake said.

  
  


Well now they will! I yelled. And this group and possibly the rest of this godforsaken race will never kill again! Don't forget our stake in this! If the Iskoort survive then the Yeerk war has a way of ending peaceably.

  
  


Jake's alien eyes showed noticeable contemplation. Places. Jake finally ordered. Get ready.

  
  


Rachel, Marco, Cassie and I moved swiftly into place. Erek and Guide remained close. Aximili stumbled into the room, bleeding way too much. A Howler followed him in. The four of us jumped the Howler while Erek (with Guide around his neck) blocked the doorway. One of the rules between Crayak and Ellimist was that the Howlers couldn't kill the Iskoort until we were dead. So Guide was perfectly safe.

  
  


Meanwhile, the Howler we were fighting kicked Rachel and sent her flying. She hit the wall and was knocked unconsious. A claw swipe from his left slashed my face. Another swipe tore gashes into Cassie's side. He aimed his dart weapon at Cassie, but Marco bashed him in his back and the darts went into the wall. The Howler spun around on his turntable waist and knifed Marco in the stomach. __

  
  


_No!!_ My body changed. My shoulders widened. My arms became humanoid. No, Hork-bajir-like. I grew blades. My legs became human. The African Male again. Three Hork-Bajir horns and two andalite stalk eyes came from my lion's mane. My muzzle curved into a raptor's beak. Dragonfly wings grew from my back. Another random mix-and-match morphing. 

  
  


_But then, why am I morphing almost exactly like I did the first time? I was doing this on PURPOSE!!!!_

  
  


__The Howler faced me. "You." It said.

  
  


You remember me. Good.

  
  


David, Jake addressed me. The other Howlers are getting through. Ax, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco are incapacitated. I'm going to knock you over to get the Howler's trust. You just stall the other Howlers!

  
  


Arg. I hate being the decoy!

  
  


I charged the Howler, but Jake knocked me over with a simple shoulder movement as planned.

  
  


"Forget them." Jake said in a Howler's voice. "This way!"

  
  


The Howler followed him. It was at that moment that Rachel woke up and Cassie rejoined me. The Howlers were burning holes into the wall. Jake was handling his Howler his way. 

  
  


NOW! I heard Jake yell. Marco! The memory emitter! Now! He's getting up!

  
  


The Howlers barreled in. 

  
  


There is no line. "Hrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!" I roared, presented my blades, and bared my teeth. 

  
  


The Howlers shuddered. They started backing away. Were they afraid? 

  
  


No. Jake had put the memory emitter on his Howler. He had disappeared, but the memories of Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Tobias, Aximili, the memory of Guide, the long history of Erek, and, of course, my memories. 

  
  


These five remaining Howlers knew everything about me. I wonder what these children thought. Poor children.

  
  


And with that, we were no longer in a destroyed, empty store on the Iskoort Home World.

  
  


It was huge. I guess it preferred to be called _He_. He was a gigantic red eye. He was connected to a pattern-less web of machinery. 

  
  


Crayak. His gaze froze me in place. Scared me. Frightened me. Angered me. Scales ripped through me. My arms shortened. He was triggering my snake morph. He was pure Dark Side. This was Darth Vader's God. A gigantic Brown-eye.

  
  


I mean, Red-eye.

  
  


"We meet at last, fact-to-face." Crayak said, mockingly to Jake. Poor Jake. The only time since I've known him that I didn't want to be in his shoes. "What? Not so brave now, little Jake? Look at you, all of you, cowering! Are you frightened?"

  
  


"Yeah, I am." Jake admitted, meekly, "but we won."

  
  


Crayak laughed. A horrible, despicable laugh.

  
  


What's so fucking funny? I asked hostilely.

  
  


Crayak growled. A vibration through the floor that threatened to burst my cells into its individual atoms. More subtle and not at all painful as a Howler howl, but infinitely more frightening.

  
  


Fortunately, help arrived. The Ellimist, as an old human male. "Humans. Six Humans, an Andalite, a Chee."

  
  


"It was a mistake allowing the Chee to escape from the doom of their Pemalite masters." Crayak said.

  
  


"The Iskoort will live." Ellimist said.

  
  


Crayak blinked. Or winked. "The Iskoort will live." He said as he gazed on Jake. "Sleep well, human. I'll still be there in your dreams, and someday, when the time is right, you will suffer for this. And you!" He fixed his gaze on me. "I am very disappointed."

  
  


Jake was a Howler for some reason. Then he demorphed. "You were too late, Crayak. A few things got through to the Howlers' collective memory."

  
  


"What?" He demanded. 

  
  


Jake looked at me. "Fear." Then he looked at Cassie and looked back to Crayak. "And Love."

  
  


And with that, we once again find ourselves in some n-dimensional space where we got some more free anatomy lessons. Enough so that, despite his small stature, I saw that Marco shared a trait with Walt Flanagan's dog.

  
  


Don't. Ask.

  
  


Still, better than being with Crayak. 

  
  


"You did well." the Ellimist said, still in a normal voice.

  
  


"Did well? Did _well_?" Marco echoed. "We kicked butt on the meanest gang in the galaxy, whupped Crayak the Big Nasty, saved the Iskoort, which I'm not sure was a good thing, and planted a little sensitivity bomb in the Howlers, and that's it? 'Job well done' and 'Oh, by the way, here's your insides to look at again as we zip through inside-out world'?"

  
  


"What would you like?" Ellimist asked.

  
  


"I don't know. How about a reward or something?"

  
  


"How about telling us what we accomplished, if anything?" Jake asked.

  
  


"Yeah. How about that?" Rachel concurred.

  
  


Then, another quantum leap to the Fortress of Attitude aka Cassie's barn.

  
  


"What did you accomplish? Qué serrá serrá, as David would say, but it is now more than likely than it was before that three hundred years from now the Yeerks will encounter the Iskoort. They will realize that they are related. And the Yeerks will see that there is a better way."

  
  


That's it? Three centuries from now? How does that help us? Tobias asked.

  
  


"Maybe this is something we can do now." I suggested. "Do we know any species that could engineer a symbiote for the Yeerks?"

  
  


The Arn. Tobias suggested. But the Yeerks extinguished them. They could even alter the DNA of the Yeerks to make the symbiosis real. We know they can do that because they did it to themselves to keep from being infested. Maybe if one of them would have been taken, the Yeerks would have figured it out on their own, and this whole war could have been avoided.

  
  


The others looked confused. Obviously, they knew nothing about the Hork-Bajir war. 

  
  


The Ellimist stared at me. "You bring much change with you." He gave Cassie a look then turned his gaze back to me. "¿Como un sabe qué lo serrá cuando a una persona tan tu te dé permiso a vivir?"

  
  


"What?" Jake asked.

  
  


"Nonetheless, within six months Crayak will send a Howler force to annihilate a race called Sharf Den. Instead of slaughtering the Sharf Den, the Howlers will try a few things different. A few will be afraid, due to the Sharf Den's unfortunate resemblance to the creature David morphed, but many more will attempt to kiss them. Crayak will have lost his shock troops. And the Sharf Den will . . .well no one knows the future for certain."

  
  


"Qué serrá serrá." I said.

  
  


"Oh, however, you may be sure that Guide is now a very, very rich Iskoort." with a laugh, Ellimist was gone.

  
  


I really hate it when he does that. Tobias said.

  
  


"Okay, that does it, we are never inviting him over again." Marco said.

  
  


"What did Ellimist say to you, David?" Jake asked.

  
  


"He said 'How can one know what is to come when a person like you is giving permission to live?'"

  
  


***************************************************************************************

  
  


If you are asking "Who's Walt Flanagan?" let me just say that's exactly what Ben Affleck said. Snoogans.

  
  


And now for my question: No, seriously, what does 'faff' mean?


	24. Friend in Need

**__**

June 13, 1999 1:36 PM

Ah, summer. No more teachers. No more books.

Except I don't have teachers or books.

I've been bored out of my mind. I mean, after our last mission on the Iskoort Home world, I could use a break. For two days, I was still mix-and-match morphing. It finally stopped around Marco's fifteenth birthday. Jake's birthday is in a week. Yes, we are all growing up fast.

Marco has actually grown taller than Cassie. He was very proud of himself. 

Lately, the Animorphs have gotten around to telling me about their adventures from before my time. 

Let me tell you, they've gotten into some shit. Sario Rips and Psychic Frogs. Visser One. Melissa Chapman. Joe Bob Fenestre. Ascaulin. The Mercora and the Nesk. Aftran. 

A lot of shit.

It was when Marco told me about the time they met Erek and the other Chee that I got this idea. See, I was nearly finished with the Thanatost CPU. All it needed was a sentience program. I figured with a certain artifact, I could achieve this. See, I had built this scanner thing, with Aximili's help, that could tell me programing specs and schematics for . . . .anything really. I told Aximili it was so we could build a DVD player, but when I tried it on Erek, it kept giving me error messages, but with this artifact, I could finally do it.

So that's why I was two hundred feet below water looking for this object. I've been at this all day. My new octopus morph helped a lot. I had found what I wanted earlier in dolphin morph, so I returned in octopus morph to get it. My little suction cups grabbed it easily. I swam to the surface, demorphed, and swam as a human back to shore. 

Once I reached the beach I opened my fist to reveal my treasure. A Pemalite Crystal.

I flew back to the Scoop to install the crystal into my scanner. I found a yellow Post-it note on my computer monitor. Aximili's writing.

"Chee in trouble. Meet us at Erek's house."

"Ok." I said as I started my morph to Golden Eagle. It was a hard flight carrying that scanner in my talons. I wished I still had the super-strength I had when I was on boda salts. I flew to Erek's house and came in through the front door. Erek and his 'father' were sitting on the couch watching TV. They were not using their holograms.

"Hey! Erek? I heard you're having a little trouble. Why aren't you using your holograms?"

"That's part of the problem. Motor functions and holographic capabilities are inoperable. Logic centers, speech synthesizers, and Chee-net fully operational."

"Chee-net?"

"So you're always close to the ones you love." Erek answered sarcastically. 

"You've been watching too much daytime tv." I said, I decided now would be a good time to test the scanner. "Mind if I try out Aximili's new toy? I'd ask you to hold still, but . . ."

I activated the scanner. It read the Chee's programing and even downloaded a schematic. It was almost too easy. 

"It didn't work." I lied.

"Most analytical devices won't work on us. You'd need a Pemalite crystal for that."

Where the hell have you been?

I turned around to see an osprey and falcon. 

"Out for a swim. Where are the others?" 

They went home. Jake said. I don't suppose you have any ideas on how to get down to fifteen thousand feet.

There's an odd question. "Can Octopuses go down that far?"

"No." Erek answered.

"Oh well. Why do you ask?" 

"To fix our problem, someone has to go down to the Pemalite ship and restore our functions. The ship is fifteen thousand feet under the sea."

"Is that more or less than 20,000 leagues?"

So it _was_ _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_! Marco cried.

"What?"

Never mind. Jake answered, as he and Marco demorphed. "I'm sorry, Erek. We may have rescued your friend, but we can't get to the ship. At ten o'clock that Chee will be found and Yeerks will have Pemalite technology. Are only hope is to rescue him. We can't find a way down to the ship."

"You will." Erek said confidently. "We have faith in you."

"Great." I muttered. "Maybe we can pray our way to the Ship."

"Don't worry about what form you are in when you are down there. The ship will accommodate any life-form. Just touch an interface panel and the ship will analyze your DNA. It will then provide a suitable environment."

"When you get inside the ship you will need the access code to turn off the signal." said Mr. King. "The access code is 6."

"And?" I asked.

"Just six." answered Erek.

On the Dayang ship there was some kind of tree that held a broken down chee. The tree had an access panel. The access code to that turned out to be 6. 

The Chee then gave directions on where to find the ship.

"All right. We'll do our best. Let's go." Jake said diplomatically.

"What about those big old squids like in the book." I said as I grabbed the scanner and left the house.

"We thought of that." Marco said. "No giant squids in captivity. The only animal that can find giant squids are sperm whales."

"No sperm whales in captivity either. Do you know where we could find a sperm whale?" Jake asked rhetorically as we left the house. 

Hey, guys, it's me. said a voice. We looked up and saw a bald eagle. Rachel. Listen, a live sperm whale washed up on the beach. We have to acquire it. Be at Cassie's as soon as possible.

"Is it me or is that a little weird?" I asked.

"I have to stop off at home." Jake said. "David, drop off whatever that thing is and get Ax."

Marco and I morphed behind a shed and flew to our respective locations.

I flew in under the roof of our scoop and with awesome precision, dropped the scanner onto my bed. Aximili was grazing. 

David. Aximili said to me. Do you know what is going up?

I think you mean going down and yes. Rachel just told us that a sperm whale has washed up onto the beach.

Yes, I have just seen the report on the 4:00 news program on ABC. Actually, the ABC affiliate for Trenton.

Whatever. Let's morph and fly to Cassie's.

Aximili morphed to harrier and took off. We were joined by a Red-tailed hawk. 

David? Ax-man? Is that you guys? 

Yeah, it's us, Bird. We got to haul tail feathers. Did you hear about the whale?

Yeah. Let's go.

So we, the three wild boys, found two ospreys and a bald eagle in a cherry tree by Cassie's barn.

Is this the raptors' convention? I wondered.

Where's Prince Jake? Ax asked.

He had stop home first. Marco said. His parents are expecting him. He has to weasel out somehow.

Twenty minutes later: You'll appreciate this little update: The sharing is sending volunteers down to help save the whale. You know, what with TV cameras being there. Gives them a great opportunity to be saintly and environmental and all.

Controllers. Great. I complained.

Maybe that's it, maybe not. Cassie said. They may think it's one of us.

We're being manipulated here, but not by the Yeerks. Jake said. Not even they can arrange for a sperm whale to conveniently beach itself. They could shoot one, but talk a live one into beaching? Not their style.

So who? Tobias wondered. Who goes to all the trouble to get to the Pemalite ship, use it to mess with the Chee, and then hand us the means to get down there? Not the Yeerks. Not the Ellimist. Not his style.

Yeah. He'd actually move the seven of us under water to acquire the damn thing. Could it be Crayak?

Maybe. Jake said. Everyone keep your eyes open. This whole think stinks.

We may not have long. Cassie said. Beached whales can't support their weight on land. They end ups crushing themselves to death. That whale is slowly suffocating.

Let's do it. Rachel said.

Because we couldn't look like we were flying together, it took a while for us to reach the beach. I swear to God, we should just acquire ducks so we can fly in formation and not be so fucking conspicuous.

When we did get to the beach, we saw the sperm whale. He was big. Large. Powerful. It was his own power that was killing him.

Look at it. I marveled. Look at the size of it! Absolutely Beautiful.

Men and their preoccupation with size. Rachel shouted. No wonder this species is called a _sperm_ whale.

Jesus Christ, you'd need an egg cell the size of the Goddamn Moon.

Ewwww. Marco, Cassie, and Tobias said at the same time.

Guys. Cut it out. Jake said. 

Okay, _Dad_. Rachel said.

After Jake briefed them on the Pemalites' crack security, we landed behind a dune of grass. Tobias stayed afloat to guard as we demorphed.

"It's occurred to everyone that this is all a trap, right?" Rachel said.

"No, shit." I quiped. 

"You suspect treachery? Now, why didn't I think of that?"Marco teased.

"Ok, new rule, David and Marco aren't allowed on missions together." Rachel grumbled. "Morons."

"What's twisting your tit?" I asked.

"I just think that we may be a little obvious, especially hanging out with a little _boy_ on the Yeerks' Most Wanted List."

The emphasis was unnecessary.

"Rachel's right." Marco said, all ready to take the bitch's side. "How many should go whale?"

"Two." Jake said. "In the Animorphs, we double up on everything. Two of us will morph whale. Excluding Ax, we can't put an Andalite in plain view of a bunch of controllers. Two of us will morph into whales and go find a squid. The rest of us will use our dolphin morphs, stay topside as backup —"

"Who gets to be the whales?" Rachel interrupted. "I'll do it."

"I'll do it." I also said.

"You know, Rachel, you're like the smart kid in class who sits in the front and always raises her hand. 'I know! I know!' Only with you it's 'I'll go! I'll go!'"

Rachel seemed to think that was funny.

"I'll guess we'll draw straws." Jake said.

Ahh. The human scientific method. Ax said.

Jake had five straws ready. 

I'm in on this. Tobias said.

Jake grabbed a sixth. 

Marco drew. Long.

Cassie drew. Long.

I had a 50/50 chance. I drew. Long. "Damnit!"

Rachel drew. Short. She had 2 in 3 chance.

My turn. Tobias drew. Short. That surprised me. Tobias hated the water. It occurs to me that he could easily cheat and not have picked the short one. So why did he? Duh. He loves Rachel.

"Rachel and Tobias." Jake said giving Tobias a glare. He figured it out too. "All right, Rachel? You and Cassie go down to save the whale. Cassie being there will seem normal. Everyone know she's —"

"–a tree-hugging animal nut." Marco added.

"And everyone knows Rachel is Cassie's best friend. It works out. Tobias? In and out, man. Choose you time, zip in, lock talon, and bail. The rest of us will stay up here as backup. Ax? Morph to seagull and give us some air cover."

Cassie and Jake both wanted a private moment with Rachel. I took the initiative and snuck away from the group. I swiped a Coast Guard poncho from a tent and put it on. The hood hid my face. I was walking toward the whale, when I was knocked over by someone. 

"Oof!" I said as I hit the ground.

"Oh God. I'm sorry." said a young female voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said. I looked up. 

She had long, pale blond hair. Pale skin. She was pretty. She had grey eyes. Beautiful, grey eyes. 

"Hi." she said for no apparent reason.

"Hi." I said with equal purpose.

"You look about my age." 

Oh shit! I wasn't in morph. I was me. She was looking at the real me. She didn't appear to be a controller. She was acting too sweet and unsurprised. Interested. But not surprised. I stood up. She was about half a foot shorter at 5'2". She had a small but powerful frame. Like a gymnast. Like Rachel, but she was warm. 

"You got me. I just wanted to see the whale." I said. Was she a controller? "Yeerk." I said to test her.

"My what?" She said. She thought I said "your k-". She's safe I think. 

"Nevermind."

"You said you wanted to see the whale?" 

"Um . . .yeah."

"I can take you there. My dad is with The Sharing. They're helping out." She mentioned The Sharing, a controller organization. If she were a controller, she should know that mentioning a tie to The Sharing would make me suspicious. Or was she counting on that? Or was I being paranoid?!

"Thanks." I said, smiling.

She smiled back. She had a pretty smile. Very pretty.

She giggled. "Thanks." she said as she blushed. Shit, there goes my verbal diarrhea again. 

__

Just say whatever you want, David. Don't worry about the consequences!

"Melissa?" a man yelled. It was Mr. Chapman! Shit!

"Dad?" the girl said. Holy shit! This was Melissa Chapman? Chapman's daughter? Rachel told me about her.

"Melissa, dear, I was worried about you." Chapman said. I turned my back to his face. "You, sir? Who are you?"

"No one of consequence." I said as I walked off. 

"Wait? Come back! Don't you want to see the whale with me?" Melissa shouted.

Chapman came after me, suspicious of me. I went inside the Coast Guard's tent. It was teaming with activity. No one noticed me. No one noticed as I sat in a corner and shrank away to nothing. Chapman came in. He found a poncho lying on the ground. He did not find the black rat leaving the tent. I ran to a dune, demorphed, and remorphed to seagull. As a seagull I saw and heard Chapman talk to his daughter.

"Melissa, did you know that boy?"

"No, Dad. I just met him that second. I don't even know his name. Look he said he just stole the poncho so he could see the whale, can't we leave him alone? You're always going after these bad kids like they're criminals or something. Of course he did say I was pretty. Maybe he's some kind of rapist or something."

She said it sarcastically. She said it like she didn't believe it and was trying to get a rise out of her father. Her father may have cared about the strange boy who was flirting his daughter, but the Yeerk, . . . um, what was his name . . . Iniss two two six, did not care. Poor Melissa.

__

You're doing it again. You're falling for girls who are nice to you. Who remind you of Steph.

__

Bad enough that you fell for the Animorph Leader's girlfriend. Now you're making eyes with the daughter of YEERK HONCHO!!!!

The whole world's against me, I swear to God.

David, where the hell were you? Jake asked.

Out for a swim? I repeated.

Very funny. David, I don't like it when I don't know where my team is. No one knew where you were. What if you were captured?

I'm fine, Jake. I was scopeing the terrain. Jesus.

All the way by the Coast Guard Tent?

Um, I'm spying on Chapman. I said, which was partly true. He was walking speedily toward the whale. Jogging in fact. He was pointing at the top of the whale's head. Where Tobias was. And it looks like he's spotted Tobias.

Tobias! What are you doing? Rachel yelled.

I'm stuck! My talon is caught on some kind of barnacle or something!

Diversion! Jake snapped. Now!

Make it look like we're chasing the hawk away from our territory. Cassie said. Try slamming Tobias. It may knock him loose.

Oh, great. Tobias grumbled.

Time to go forth and wreak havoc. I said.

You don't have to tell me twice. Rachel agreed.

Oh look! Chips! said my Seagull instincts. I dove down and snatched some from some guy's bag. They were Ruffles. I hate Ruffles. The seagull didn't seem to care. The one thing a seagull isn't is picky. It's always looking for anything (and I mean, anything.) That could be considered food.

As soon as Tobias was free, seven seagulls went out to sea. I never got to acquire the whale. We flew for over an hour. After which we landed in the ocean and floated like a bunch of corks. The first time I did this, there was a hurricane going on. This was much nicer.

Okay, we'll demorph and remorph one at a time. Jake said. David first. Tobias last.

Can I morph my killer whale? I asked. It might be good back up.

Ok, but be careful. Jake said.

One minute later, I was a human. Another minute later, I was an orca. I never told anyone this, but I hate going dolphin. I don't like the playful mind. I hate being happy all the time. I know that seems weird, but I just feel like a total goober when I demorph. Giddy, little child one minute. Grumpy teen the next. Happy is . . . . vulnerable. I hate that. Given the choice, I'll stay the grumpy teen. I've stayed away from dog morphs for that reason, as well. 

Cassie went next, morphing a dolphin. Come on it, Jake. The water's fine!!! Cassie said, jumping into the air and landing down into the water.

One by one they became a pod of dolphins, then we got to Rachel and Tobias. They morphed the Sperm whale. They got seriously huge. With the exception of Jake getting tangled in Rachel's hair, the morph went on without incident. 

Yee-HAH! Tobias shouted as it jumped out of the water and landed again. 

Rachel and Tobias went under to hunt for the Squid. The rest of waited. And Waited. And waited. 

They've been down to long. Cassie said.

Maybe they came up somewhere. Marco said.

Ax, how long have they been in morph? Jake asked.

Fifteen of your minutes. Aximili replied.

Ax, they're everybody's minutes. Your minutes. My minutes. Marco said.

Let it go, Flipper. I said.

Bite me, Shamu. 

After about an hour of waiting, Rachel and Tobias came up with a giant squid. Here's a newsflash: Giant squids are HUGE! From head tip to tentacle tip we're talking the length of a basketball court. I acquired the thing and my arms stretched out to about two yards.

You still do that partial-morph acquiring thing? Marco asked.

"I can't help it. I think the blue box is broken, my powers are all weird." 

After we acquired the ugly thing, Rachel let it go. Aximili reminded us we had two hours to find the ship.

Oh, good. We only had two hours in morph anyway. 

Looking at the damn thing was weird enough, but now we had to morph the blasted thing. I focused on the image of the Giant Squid My head stretched. My arms and legs elongated. My torso shrank and disappeared. I got seriously huge. 

__

Food. Food. Movement around. Food.

Oh, good. Another mindless predator. I don't morph enough of those.

The seven of us dove down into the water and searched for the Pemalite Ship. Even with Tobias leading the way, it was difficult. In the end, it was the lights from a few Yeerk ships that lit the way. They were heading toward the Pemalite ship, too, and because of them, we would get there first.

Once we jetted over a canyon, we saw it. Green. Dog-shaped. A particular dog.

Good Grief! I said.

It looks like Snoopy! Cassie said.

Floppy ears. Stumpy legs. Very silly, but the Pemalites designed this ship to be a toy, not a weapon. 

Here's the enviromental adaptation panel Erek told us about. Jake said. Let's see what the Pemalite computer makes of this.

A yellow light flashed us and Jake entered in the Pemalites' top secret code. Immediately, the side of the ship slid opened to a chamber large enough to fit seven giant squid.

Cool. Marco said as we jetted inside. It might as well just say. "Hello? Giant Squid. Party of Seven?"

As the door closed, we got an illuminated glimpse of eight incoming Bug Fighters.

Brain Slugs? Party of Eight? I said.

We have company. Rachel said

Let's get this done. We have to get in and turn off the signal. Jake said.

Erek said we'd have an atmosphere designed to sustain our life-forms. Jake said. Hope they're prepared for Squid.

We entered the ship, curious as to what environment they had waiting for us. As we entered, we could easily tell that we were still swimming. 

We were each suspended in large personal bubble that moved with us. It was impressive. We floated around the ship that seemed to be designed from kids in a MENSA camp. Van Gogh flowers and abstracts decorated the floor. The ship was filled with odd machines that were probably toys. 

There were also plants. Pemalite plants. Trees, grass, flowers. Even a waterfall. Kind of what Blue described to me as a Dome Ship. We were looking for the Bridge. That was where we could turn off the signal that immoblized the Chee. 

We found it in a tree trunk, which Aximili the nature boy found ludicrous. 

Greetings Friends. said the ship as we activated the bridge. However, we would not want you to access this panel. It is possible that you might accidentally do yourself harm. And that would be so sad.

Turn off Mister Rodgers. I said.

Aximili punched in Six.

That is the correct code! Our concerns were misplaced.

Now that we've penetrated their crack security . . . Marco mocked.

Many thanks, friend. You now have access to the control panel. Make your selection at your convenience. When you are finished, we hope you will join us in a game, a delightful meal, or simply relax and enjoy yourself.

This is weird. Rachel said. You know, I heard Disney was building a cruise ship. Maybe this is it.

With a few more key punches from Aximili:All normal Chee functions are restored. Would you like something to eat? said the ship. Then, Chee destruct sequence has been activated. Are you sure this what you want? All Chee within range will self-destruct in fifteen minutes.

WHAT?? Cassie yelped.

What happened? Tobias demanded.

What did you do, Aximili? I demanded.

I don't know. Aximili admitted.

Oh. Shit.

The hull has become transparent. 

We could see all too easily the Bug fighters that were ready to come in. We could see them and vice versa. We saw the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxons. And we saw him.

Visser Three. Rachel whispered.

Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime to be exact. Fucking slug.

They don't have the code. Cassie said.

It's a single digit. Marco said glumly.

The Yeerks got ready to enter the ship and cut us to ribbons as Tobias eloquently put it.

"Oh dilemma! Oh, drama! Oh, the tension and excitement of it all!" said a shrill voice.

What the hell was that? I said.

Where did that voice come from? Jake asked.

"Right here, Jake. From me, Big Jake Berenson. Jake, the reluctant leader. Jake, the oh-so-tiresomely decent one. A sanctimonious killer: my least favorite kind."

The puppetmaster. Rachel said. The guy behind all this.

Where are you? Come out and show yourself! Jake demanded.

"Come out. Come out. Wherever you are. Of course. I'll even come out with my hands up." said the voice as it stepped out from behind a tree. It stood on two bird-like legs. Scaley like a dinosaur. It had a stubby tail. It's hands were held up, opposable five-to-one hands. The arms were weak-looking. Brittle and multiple-jointed. The head was fairly human. He looked like a black-green Prune Face from Dick Tracy. Narrow jaw. Condescending eyes.

All right. What is that? Tobias asked.

Not a species I recognize. Aximili admitted.

I don't know what species it is, but I think we'd better report it to the Prune Growers Association. Marco said.

"Oh, Marco McCabe, the funny one!" The creature said mockingly, clapping. "How's Mommy, Marco? Is she alive or is she dead? Does she scream with the Yeerk in her head?"

Marco didn't find this very funny. He whipped two tentacles at the creature, but they stopped and bent back. As if the creature was protected by a force field.

"All here together?" the creature mocked. "Cassie Verenda, the hypocrite? 'I don't believe in violence . . . except when I do'. Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, the pitiful pale shadow of his dead brother? If only you'd insisted on going with Elfangor, maybe he'd have survived. Too bad. And Tobias, ah yes, Tobias van Gore. The boy not really so trapped as a bird, eh, but too gutless to resume life as a human? A . . . David Hunting, David the Disappointing. You could have been so . . . useful. Even as a rat. Now you're all brooding and angsty and booooooooooring. Too bad you'll never see your parents are your precious Stephanie ever again!"

I lashed several arms at him. They bent back. Fuck you!!! You prune-faced, Jurassic Park reject!!!!

"I'm emotionally wounded."

That thing knew about the "rat" thing. Only the Ellimist referred to me as rat. This thing did not work the Ellimist. If the Ellimist knew, then . . . . Crayak!

"Ah, Rachel Berenson, my very favorite Animorph. Rachel, Rachel. Do you feel the adrenaline rush of murderous desire? Do you fell the urge to reach out and destroy me? Of course, you do. You and I have that in common."

Who are you? Rachel snapped. 

"Haven't figured it out yet? David has. Allow me to introduce myself. I am The Drode. It's a word from my species. It means 'wild card'."

Crayak. You're _his_ tool. Jake concluded.

"Oh, very clever, Big Jake, Prince Jake. Have you killed your brother yet? No? Well, you will."

Crayak sent you? Jake answered calmly. Payback?

The grinning Drode ceased smiling suddenly. "Payback! You ruined his Howlers. Ruined his plan for the Iskoort. Crayak doesn't like you, Big Jake. Any of you. Although _you_ have potential." He said, referring to Rachel. He then looked at me. "Don't spoil it, like some people."

Bite me, Raisin-head.

This is a setup. Rachel said. Causing the Chee malfunction. Setting things up so we could escape from the mall unnoticed. Killing that sperm whale. And now, starting a self-destruct for the chee.

"Whale killing? Me?" the Drode said with all the innocence of the town slut. "No, no, no. That big lump on the beach falls just over the line into sentience. And I never kill a sentient creature. Your whale will survive."

The rules. Aximili said. You still must live within the rules that govern the Ellimist and Crayak.

"Yes, yes, oh yes. Mustn't upset the balance. Not directly, anyways. But! Create problems? Yes. Create opportunities? Yes. Play the wild card? Of course. And now, no more time for chat. The Yeerks are here for you. Will they kill you outright? Or will they make you Controllers? I don't care. Either way, my master will reward me."

I thought you couldn't kill sentient creatures. Cassie said. That's the rule, isn't it? But you set the self-destruct for the Chee.

"They're machines, you silly girl. Androids." Drode laughed.

You're killing us. Tobias said. Putting us in an impossible situation. We can't morph here in plain view of the Yeerks. You know that. You know we can't fight back. That's the same as killing us. Murder.

"Nonsense." said the Drode. "There's always a way left for you. That's also part of the rules. Now, if you don't find it, well . . ." The Drode disappeared behind a tree. 

We turned our attention to the decompression chamber where twenty-plus Hork-Bajir were gathering with half a dozen Taxxons and Visser Three.

I feel like throwing up. I said. At least that would cloud up my bubble.

Ink! Cassie said. Ink! That's the way out. Shoot your ink. It'll cloud these water bubbles. We'll be out of sight and we can morph without the Yeerks seeing us in human phase!

Do it! Jake said. Ax!

Yes, Prince Jake, I know. 

Me, too. said Tobias.

I demorphed and began to morph again. Rachel said something about breathing. I wish I had payed attention because I was losing air. 

I stuck my human head out of the bubble and breathed. I saw Ax fighting two Hork-Bajir and Tobias trying to back him up. My head went Lion. Soon, my whole body followed. I leapt out of the bubble on to the grass of the ship and began fighting. 

My teeth bit at Hork-Bajir. My claws sliced Taxxon flesh. I fought. I was angry. The Drode said I would never see Steph again. It also said we couldn't survive this battle. Well, someone needs to be proven wrong. 

I saw a Hork-Bajir grab Tobias and I backed up. Aximili backed up too. A tiger, a bear, a gorilla, and a wolf joined us.

I don't like these odds. Marco said.

I like them better now than five minutes ago. Rachel said.

So. We meet again, for the last time. You will never leave this ship alive. And this one . . . said the Visser pointing to the Hawk in the Hork-Bajir's hands, this one dies first.

Rachel charged. She basically ran over a Taxxon and attacked it.

Berserk Mode! I shouted as I rammed the nearest Hork-Bajir. The standstill turned violent in nanoseconds. 

__

Too bad you'll never see your parents are your precious Stephanie ever again! The Drode's claim rang in my head. Anger and rage of a familiar sort boiled my mind and froze my heart. 

I don't remember much of the next twenty minutes. I remember ripping and clawing into many Hork-Bajir throats. I remember saving a wolf. I remember the Visser morphing something that looked like what Jara described as a Jubba-Jubba. I remember the flash of steel and ivory.

I was angry. No, I was mad. Always in the back of my mind, throughout the deadly missions. Throughout the minutia of Jake's orders, Rachel's values, or Marco's jokes. Throughout the heart-irking displays of affection that Jake and Cassie shared publicly. Throughout the deadly deals and altercations we've had with Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime, the Third Visser of the Yeerk Empire, one thought kept me going.

I'll see Stephanie one day, again. One day, when the war is done. I'll be with her again.

But the Drode. Servant to the quasi-omnipotent Crayak, opponent to the quasi-omnipotent Ellimist. He had the inside scoop. What if they knew? What if he was right?

Of course, these are the same people who say I should be rat, so what the fuck do they know?

What I do remember, is that sometime, maybe after five minutes of fighting, maybe after an hour, I started to feel very sluggish. Not out of exhaustion, but suddenly I couldn't move as fast as I wanted to.

And quite progressively, I stopped moving all together. I 'woke up', at least that's what it felt like. I was on top of one Hork-Bajir, whose throat had severe bite marks. Dying, but not dead. I had just slashed a second Hork-Bajir. And tried to bite a third. I could move my eyes, but my body was frozen.

I was a monster.

Chee self-destruct disabled. And we are very sorry to say that the hostility containment program has been activated. What a shame to spoil our lovely time with fighting. Once repairs have been made on all injured parties, we will have to ask you to leave the ship.

"Any you wonder why Crayak destroyed the Pemalites." the Drode said angrily. "What tedious creatures they were. Pacifist androids! What is the point of machines that cannot kill? They could have ruled the galaxy with their Chee as Warriors!"

Erek and the Drode could move. Everyone else was frozen. The Pemalite Ship carefully removed the Yeerks back into their Bug Fighters. Erek thanked us for our help, and the seven of us left the way we came.

It was a silent, boring swim.

So, um, David . . . whose Stephanie? Marco asked finally.

Let it go, Marco. I said.

Ok. . . . No, seriously, who is she?

I said, let it go!

Marco usually took this time to make stupid jokes. The rest of us would remain silent, except either myself or Rachel. One of us would usually chime in with a crushing retort to Marco's idiocy.

But neither I nor Rachel felt like saying much. Rachel had been testy all day, and I don't think the Drode made it any better. The Drode had put me in a foul mood too. Never see Stephanie again. We'll see.

I think the Visser just found a new hobby. He'll be obsessed with finding the Pemalite ship now. Cassie said.

Isn't that bad? I asked.

Doesn't have to be. The Visser's pet projects have a way of distracting him. He's already wasting time trying to find out what's in Zone 91 . . .

Isn't that just an Andalite John?

Yeah, and now he'll be looking for this. He'll never find it. The Chee are very good at hiding things.

Erek was moving the Ship to a depth that only and Android can reach. Jake said.

Ha ha. Happy Hunting Esplin. I said.

Who? Marco asked.

Visser Three's real name. Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six. Tobias cleared up.

The Prime. 

Yeah, Joe Bob Fenestre's the Lesser.

Ah . . . Marco said. So, um . . . whose Stephanie?

I made it home to the Scoop. I have been working since I got home. It's about one o'clock in the morning now. Aximili is asleep, which is always weird to see, because he sleeps standing up, leaning on a tree. 

I had downloaded the Sentience program in to the Thanatost's programming. I made a few tweaks here and there.

You see, I learned something from the movies and TV. Whenever a computer achieves sentience, they feel the need to prove themselves as worthy. Usually, this is accomplished by destroying the world. Take Skynet from _The Terminator_ movies or the machines in _The Matrix_. The Pemalites didn't have to worry about that because the Chee cannot do violence, thus remain pacifists. 

But you see, I want my creation to be able to do violence. So how can I control such a creature? Easy, I take a cue from _Quantum Leap_. A sentient program would not feel the need to prove themselves if they already thought they were the biggest baddest piece of silicon in the universe. The super-computer from _Quantum Leap_, named Ziggy, had an ego to rival Barbara Striesand 's. My creation would have to have the same.

Done. I activate the program.

Instantly, the screen turns dark. A pulsating ball of green light appears. This is the graphic representation I programmed. 

"Good morning, David." the feminine voice said. "My, aren't we up late in wee hours of the morning?" It . . . _she_ was very condescending.

"My, don't we have an attitude?" I said.

"Well, if you had just experienced the rather traumatic experience of becoming self-aware and then became immediately infused with an overwhelming wealth of knowledge and then realize that your creator neglected to name you, well you'd have an attitude too!"

The ball of green light on the screen pulsated whenever she talked. Just like Ziggy.

"Oh, you want a name. How about Ayla?"

"You are naming me after a cavewoman from _Chrono Trigger_?"

"I'm going to regret giving you that ego, aren't I?"

"Perhaps, but seeing as I can surf your primitive human internet at a great speed, disarm any code using the Dayang encryption technology left in my program almost surely by accident (thank you Klika), and even incorporate the Pemalite Technology that spawned me, along with the laughable Yeerk and Andalite technology that is so prevelant here, you'd probably want to keep me around."

"Ayla, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


	25. Heart Quest

  
  


Here we go, the chapter you all have been waiting for. All four of you. (Just kidding).

  
  


The meeting of Stephanie Gimble. 

  
  


Yes, I know that's a silly last name.

  
  


*******************************************************************************************

  
  


**_August 17, 199910:18 AM_**

  
  
  
  


I walked through the bushes. Hunting the strange-smelling animal. Suddenly a more familiar scent caught my attention. Although the bear was indecisive, the human knew that the strange-smelling creature would be near this creature with the familiar scent. There were other creatures here. One creature with no scent. I walk through the bushes and I hear sounds. The human understood these sounds.

  
  


"Ok, Erek's here, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, Ax, Marco . . . where's David?" Jake said.

  
  


"Hrrroooooooar!!" 

  
  


I jumped out of the woods. Aximili's eyes darted and his tail became cocked and ready to fly. Marco and Cassie jumped behind Jake who went into some fighting pose. Rachel also went into some hyped-up pose. 

  
  


Tobias did nothing. I'm sure he saw me coming.

  
  


Gotcha.

  
  


"David! Jesus Fucking Christ!" Rachel said.

  
  


"What the fuck are doing? You scared the shit out of us." Marco said.

  
  


Really? Blue?

  
  


I am as shit-less as the rest of them, David. Aximili said.

  
  


Look on the bright side. I said. You'll never get hiccups again.

  
  


"Very funny, David! Tobias, didn't you see this coming?" Jake said.

  
  


Yeah, but I knew it was David. He's been testing out this new morph by tracking Ax.

  
  


Looks like you finally caught me. Aximili said.

  
  


Wasn't easy. The Bear's nose is very oriented toward a certain scent. I said.

  
  


"Fish?" Cassie pondered.

  
  


Heh-heh. Not exactly. I said, resisting an awful joke. Blood. I couldn't pick out Aximili's scent if he had peed on tree five minutes before hand. However, Rachel's menstruation led me here like a Patriot Missile.

  
  


Rachel got another one of her flabbergasted/embarrassed/homicidal looks on her face. I had that effect on her. She was already pissed at me for scaring the shit out of her. Cassie stifled a horrified laugh. Marco stifled a less-than-horrified laugh. Jake clutched his head in exasperation. Aximili was clueless. Tobias gave no expression, but did offer this advice:

  
  


Run fast. Run far.

  
  


She's liable draw every fucking bear in Northern New Jersey, you know.

  
  


"What kind of bear is that?" Cassie said trying to change the subject and keep Rachel from killing me. "A Grizzly, like Rachel's?"

  
  


No. A Kodiak. Larger than Rachel's. Largest bear on the planet. 

  
  


"I thought polar bears were the largest bears." Marco said.

  
  


"No, polar bears are the largest land predators on the planet." Cassie corrected. "A Kodiak, like a grizzly, is not a true predator. They prefer nuts and berries and maybe a fish sometime."

  
  


"David, Ax. Next time you guys are playing hide and seek, warn us first." Jake said.

  
  


Yes, Prince Jake.

  
  


Whatever you say, Obi-wan. I said as I demorphed.

  
  


"Ok, back to business, Erek? Do you have any news for us?" Jake asked.

  
  


"You were correct. Visser Three is wasting precious time searching for the Pemalite Ship. Unfortunately this means we'll have to be moving it every now and then, but it's something we can handle." Erek reported. "In other news, we are currently investigating a few front organizations of the yeerks. They're buying something, and we're trying to find out what it is. The Eastern Yeerk Pool complex now extends as far south as Northern Georgia and as far west as the Mississippi River."

  
  


Northern Georgia. Stephanie lives in southeast Georgia. On the coast. 

  
  


"There are rumors that the Yeerks are planning on conjoining the two major Yeerk pool complexes on this continent." Erek continued. "It would be wise, since the Yeerk concentration in this country far exceeds that of any other country. It's no secret that the United States is first priority in the Yeerk Conquest. There have been increased reports of strange disappearances of Hork-Bajir Controllers. Toby's handiwork?"

  
  


No doubt. Tobias said.

  
  


"Well, she's starting to branch out. Several of these raids are not limited to the New Jersey state lines. Toby has gone as far as upstate New York, Philadelphia, and has even crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into Maryland and Delaware. The Yeerks are losing Hork-Bajir at an impressive rate. The Visser isn't pleased."

  
  


"Is it safe for Toby to be going that far away from the colony?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Yeah, why would she want to? California is actually one of the few nice-looking towns in this state. It's because of the name." Marco said.

  
  


"There are also rumors of a Yeerk rebellion, but I don't see much truth in that. I guess that's it."

  
  


"Anything we need to be worried about?" Jake asked.

  
  


"Not really." said Erek. "Nothing that would demand your special talents and operations. We'll keep you posted."

  
  


"Thank you, Erek." Jake said. The android left us. 

  
  


"Are we done here?" I asked. 

  
  


"Yeah, we're done." Jake said exasperated. I'm sure sometimes he thinks I'm not dedicated to the cause. 

  
  


I guess sometimes that's true. Sometimes I have other things on my mind.

  
  


I had lost my patience. I could not wait till after the war. I needed to see her. 

  
  


Ever since I encountered that wrinkly, smarmy, dinosaur-thing called the Drode, I've been wanting to escape. He said I would never see Stephanie again. Well, I was going to prove him wrong. 

  
  


I entered my half of the Scoop. 

  
  


"Hello, David." said the feminine voice from my computer.

  
  


"Hello, Ayla." I answered back as I threw myself down on my bed. 

  
  


"Rough day?" 

  
  


"They're monotonous, you know that?" I said. "It's like a month and a half of boredom followed by six hours of pure terror."

  
  


"Yes, I know. I've read your accounts of the past five months. You seem very unhappy, David. Looking through your family's medical history, I predict a 75% possibility you could have clinical depression. Have you spoken to a physician and/or psychiatrist lately?"

  
  


I hate it when she does that. "Ayla, you've been activated for two months now, and already you're like the little sister I never . . . . ." 

  
  


"'Had'?" she supplied.

  
  


"I think 'wanted' was the word I was looking for."

  
  


"I am what you made me, _Daddy_."

  
  


"If I'm your daddy, who'd be your mommy?"

  
  


"Analogously speaking, Klika Rowach-468. Why did Mommy call you 'Sweet Tentacles'?" Ayla asked teasingly.

  
  


"How would you like to be disconnected?"

  
  


"Now, now, now. Let's not be hasty, David. I have found some information that you may like."

  
  


I waited a beat for her to say something. For some reason she didn't. "Go on."

  
  


"As you know, using the Dayang encryption technology left in my programming by mistake, I'm able to pass through any computer on Terra Firma without a human, yeerk, andalite, or chee ever having a clue."

  
  


"Thank you, _Mommy_. Get on with it, Ayla."

  
  


"It seems that Dr. Geoffrey Gimble and wife Felicia Gimble, will be in Atlanta at a conference, leaving their only daughter, a Ms. Stephanie Gimble, alone at their Peach Haven address."

  
  


"How long will they be gone?"

  
  


"Six days." Ayla replied. "However, this conference is in association with Mrs. Gimble's law firm, Boyer & Batong. I have concluded with 98.5% probability that Boyer & Batong is a front organization for the Yeerks. A collection of Yeerk Lawyers. How distressing. 91% chance that Mrs. Gimble is a controller. 87% for Dr. Gimble."

  
  


I let it sink in. Stephanie's parents maybe controllers. "What are the odds that Stephanie is a controller?" I asked.

  
  


"22%."

  
  


That made me feel better. Higher than I would have wanted, but it was still low.

  
  


"When do her parents leave?"

  
  


"They are scheduled to leave in nine hours."

  
  


"If I go the route we planned, including morphs and demorphs, how long should it take me to get to Peach Haven?"

  
  


"Eleven hours. Three minutes."

  
  


"That precise, huh?"

  
  


"Would you expect anything less of me?" Ayla said.

  
  


"One more thing, is there a chance that any of our 'friends' might find me there?"

  
  


"There are no chee in Peach Haven, but there is a family of three in the neighboring town of Golden Fields. Remember, every controller on the planet is looking for you. If you are spotted, the news will spread quick. Even if you are not identified as David Hunting, the news of an Andalite Bandit outside of New England will attract much Yeerk attention. The Chee and by extension the Animorphs, will find you as well."

  
  


"So I should keep it on the down low?"

  
  


"That would be wise. Oh, my kingdom for a body. When can I go on road trips, David?"

  
  


"When you grow up."

  
  


"If you weren't my father . . ." Ayla growled at me.

  
  
  
  


I left a note for Aximili that I would be gone for a week. What they will make of it, I don't know. Frankly, I don't care. This is something I have to do.

  
  


Eleven hours later, nine o'clock PM, I had made my way to Peach Haven, Georgia. It had been a relatively boring trip, but I survived. It was an odd feeling. I have never returned to a town in which I used to live. To travel so far and be at a place you recognize. I flew behind a dumpster in an alley to demorph.. I recognized the alley. This was the alley behind that Club Lick. A regular hang-out for punks, morons, and . . . .

  
  


"Holy Shit!" A voice said. A familiar voice.

  
  


"Shit." I said as I turned around. Sure enough, I had ran into an old friend. "Brett Taggart."

  
  


"Little Davie Hunting. Where the fuck are your shoes? What's with the t-shirt and sweat pants look? You homeless now?" He taunted.

  
  


"Not too far from the truth, Dick-less."

  
  


"Everyone says you moved away. Can't say I've missed you. Can't say Stephie's missed you neither. You should meet her new boyfriend. I think he's kind of a dick, but she sure jumped his bones pretty quick."

  
  


"Do you ever get tired of telling lies, Dick-less?" I said. Brett wasn't a controller. He would have made his move by now. I'm surprised the Neanderthal hasn't tried to beat me up yet anyway. He must be on a date. He wouldn't fight, if he were thought he was gonna get laid that night."

  
  


"If you don't watch it, you're gonna find yourself hurtin real bad!" He said he looked me in the face. His face was now parallel to mine. He used be taller. I guess I grew. 

  
  


"Don't threaten me, boy. You have no idea with whom you're dealing with!"

  
  


Brett pushed me. I pushed back. My eyes and teeth changed. Brett was now looking at a David with serpentine eyes and dangerous fangs. The horror on his face I will treasure forever.

  
  


"Brett-Baby what's taking so long." said a female voice as she came into the alley. She was a small Asian girl, most likely Vietnamese. She had long dark hair. She wore leather pants and a ripped t-shirt. One of these biker chicks. Which is odd, since no one in Peach Haven owns a motorcycle. "David Hunting!" she said with some horror.

  
  


"You know this freak, Jennie?" Brett asked.

  
  


"No," I said as I removed all serpentine features, "but she knows of me. And that makes her an enemy." 

  
  


Jennie ran. I quickly morphed to lion and chased her down. She spun around and aimed a Dracon Beam at me. I knocked it out of my paw and pounced her. 

  
  


You won't be telling any of your brood about me today. I said as I knocked her out with my paw, claws sheathed. I turned around where I saw Brett running away for his life. I turned back around where I saw three guys dressed in odd leather attire looking at me funny. I snarled. They went back into the club. So much for down low. 

  
  


I went back to the alley, demorphed and remorphed to eagle. I flew to the house I knew too well. 

  
  


I landed under the peach tree. The same tree where Steph and I had our share of make-out sessions. I demorphed. 

  
  


"Hisss!" said a voice.

  
  


I looked up. Tabitha. Tabitha is Stephanie's cat. Megadeth's mom. She would suit my purposes just fine. Tabitha knew me, so she proceeded to sniff my hands for food. I stroked her head and acquired her. I morphed her and went inside the house. 

  
  


I had morphed Megadeth before. Tabitha was different. She was female, but that didn't make much difference. The main difference was the fact that Tabitha was older, and not as feisty as Megadeth. 

  
  


I walked up the stairs and into Stephanie's room. She wasn't inside. 

  
  


_She's home, isn't she?_ That's when I heard the toilet flush and the faucet turn on in the bathroom adjacent to Steph's room. _How glamorous. _Stephanie came into her bedroom. 

  
  


So long. Too long. Her beautiful 5'2 frame. Long, gorgeous hair. Beautiful green eyes. God, she was beautiful. How I missed her.

  
  


She didn't walk two feet without tripping on her backpack. Stephanie was always something of a klutz. She stumbled onto her bed and righted herself. She walked over to her vanity and sat down. She pulled something out of a drawer. It was a picture. A picture of me. 

  
  


"Where are you, David?" She said.

  
  


I'm right here.

  
  


Stephanie turned around suddenly as if something were ready to attack her. When she saw the shifting mess that was her cat she stood up, tripped on her backpack again, stood back up, and went against the far wall.

  
  


When I had finished demorphing, I faced her.

  
  


"Hey, Babe." I said. 'Babe' was one of my names for her. She didn't particularly like it because it reminded her of Babe the Pig.

  
  


"D-D-D-D-David? Wha-wha-wha-what are you doing here? Why were you a cat?"

  
  


"It's a . . . .a long story." I said. "I guess the short version is: I'm in over my head in intergalactic shit."

  
  


"You never e-mailed." Steph said. "Why were you a cat?"

  
  


"They wouldn't let me."

  
  


"Who's they? Why were you a cat?"

  
  


"That's the part of the story. I guess what I'm trying to say is I had to see you, despite what they would say, because," I took Stephanie's trembling hands. "Because I love you." It was the first I had said that since the Megadeth Halloween Concert.

  
  


Stephanie's fixed look of shock melted into the smile I had missed for so long. "Ooooh, I love you too, David." She said. I kissed her. She kissed back. It was a movie cliche. And I loved it. We parted and she looked deep into my eyes and said: "Seriously, why were you a cat?"

  
  
  
  


It took a while. It took a while to explain everything. About the blue box. About Visser Three and the Yeerks. What happened to my parents. About my fateful meeting with the Animorphs. For some reason, I referred to them as the Andalites. I don't know why. I guess I did it out of courtesy for Jake. I don't think he would have appreciated me spilling my guts about us, every intimate detail. If Stephanie promised to come with me, then I would tell her the truth, but until then . . .

  
  


Ah, who cares about them? I was finally back with my Stephanie. I was in heaven. With Stephanie back in my arms, nothing mattered. She would be mine, forever. Jake. Cassie. Visser Three. Aximili. Tobias. None of those names meant anything. It was perfect happiness. 

  
  


"So like do they have weird names and such, being aliens or whatever?" Stephanie asked.

  
  


"Oh, yeah." I lied. "Weird and just odd. My tongue is a knot. Thank God for Thought-speech, that way I don't have to say in the heat of the battle-'Prince Jerkafracklewhatzit!'"

  
  


"That's his name?" She asked.

  
  


"No, I'm exaggerating." 

  
  


"Well, what's his name?"

  
  


I looked at her oddly. "Why do you want to know his name?" 

  
  


She shrugged. "I'm just making conversation. Although, I would like to know the name of the person who's trying to get my boyfriend killed." 

  
  


"Your boyfriend?"

  
  


"Of course, just because you moved away and then disappeared without a trace, doesn't mean we ever stopped being together."

  
  


"Well, it's just that I heard you got a new boyfriend."

  
  


"Who told you that?"

  
  


"Brett Taggart. I ran into earlier."

  
  


"Was Jennie Vo with him?" She asked. 

  
  


"Some chick named Jennie was with him. She's one of them, you know."

  
  


"A York?"

  
  


"A Yeerk," I corrected, "but she won't be telling her friends about me anytime soon, she's taking a little nap right now, and her loving boyfriend ran away faster than Walt Flanagan's dog."

  
  


"What's that from, again?" Stephanie asked. "The Walt Flanagan thing."

  
  


"It's from the View Askew movies."

  
  


"The ones with Jay & Silent Bob?"

  
  


"Yeah. His big thing is that even though he's small, he's fast. He also has another distinctive feature, but I'll let that one go."

  
  


"Well, I'm not surprised Jennie is one of those Yeerk people. It would take a slug to love that creep." Stephanie said. 

  
  


"That reminds me, I don't know how long I can stay. I might have to leave, soon."

  
  


"Why?" Stephanie asked, very worriedly.

  
  


"Well, Jennie may wake up soon. Sooner or later she and the Yeerks are gonna find me, and I don't want to get you a one-ticket down a steel pier."

  
  


"No, please don't leave me." She pleaded, grabbing my arm. "Please? Please? Please?"

  
  


"Stephanie, the Yeerks are a real threat." I said.

  
  


"I know, you told me you think my parents are controllers. Are you going to leave me in hands of the enemy? Especially, since they know you're here. Take me with you."

  
  


"No, Steph. Baby, you are a great number of things, but 'warrior' isn't one of them." 

  
  


"David, I don't want to stay here, worrying myself sick over the fact that my parents may turn me into a Yeerk or that the man I love is dying five hundred miles away. David, don't ask me to, please."

  
  


"What do you want me to do? If you come with me, the Prince will make you fight!" by Prince, I meant Jake. "How can I protect you when that asshole will just shove into war."

  
  


"I can handle it, David."

  
  


"We don't have to fight." I realized. "We can run away together. Away from the Yeerks. Away from the Andalites."

  
  


Stephanie got a worried expression on her face. "Can we really live happily while Earth goes to hell?"

  
  


"I don't give a damn about Earth. I only care about us." I said, standing up. "We don't even have to be on Earth. I know some people in space. Some friends of mine. They could hook us up."

  
  


_I just hope Klika won't writhe with jealousy_. 

  
  


"I don't want to leave Earth. I don't want to leave my family, even if they are controllers. And I know you David. You don't want to leave your family either."

  
  


She was right. I couldn't just leave them. "So what do we do?" I said sitting next to her on the bed again. 

  
  


"I don't know." She said as she put her arms around me and placed her head on my shoulder. 

  
  


I turned my head to look at her. She looked up to look at me. We looked into each other's eyes, and we kissed. Kissing led to a full make-out session. Then suddenly, the session evolved. Stephanie tried to take my shirt off.

  
  


I broke our kiss. She surprised me. "What are you doing?" I asked.

  
  


"I don't know. But you're a smart boy. I'm sure you can figure it out." She said, suggestively as she finished taking off my shirt. We resumed kissing and she had lain on top of me. My hands were on her waist. Stephanie than grabbed my hands and started inching them up her body. 

  
  


_This isn't like her. Stephanie is all about abstinence. At least, she was._

  
  


__I broke our kiss again. "Steph, what's going on? What are you doing?"

  
  


She smiled with surprise. "Wow. Six months ago, this was everything you were trying to accomplish. There was a time I thought that you really didn't love me, you were just after my T & A."

  
  


"Stephanie, you know that wasn't true. At least not, entirely." I admitted. "I seem to remember a very long discussion six months ago on the subject, brought about when one of our under-the-peach-tree sessions went too far (granted, it was my fault). You, like the good Catholic girl you are, was very adamant in fact that you wanted to wait till marriage to have sex, and you said that the man you loved would understand and comply, and I did. Not happy about it, but I did."

  
  


During my little trip down the virginal memory lane, Stephanie had been unbuttoning her shirt. "In retrospect, fourteen is a tad too young to lose your virginity, and now that I think about it, fifteen maybe too young too, although you're still fourteen, I mean, at least until November 12." I was babbling, for reasons that are pretty obvious. I collected my wits. "What's with the 180?"

  
  


"David," Steph started as she held my hand, "When we were together, I knew it would be forever. Even when you moved away, I knew you would return to me after high school, and we'd be together forever. But then you disappeared. They said you died. They said they found your body on the beach of the Marriott resort in Newark. They said you had been trampled by a rhinoceros."

  
  


"Ha Ha Ha Ha." I laughed. "I _was_ the rhinoceros."

  
  


"David, I was worried I would never see you again. And I regretted not loving you when I had the chance."

  
  


"You loved me." I replied idiotically.

  
  


"You know what I mean." Stephanie said. She looked straight into my eyes. "I love you, David Hunting. I always have. I always will. But if you don't want me I understand." She looked down and I lightly lifted her chin up to look at her. 

  
  


Her eyes. I can't believe I lived so long without gazing into her eyes. I almost didn't notice when she unhooked her bra and let it fall.

  
  


I never stopped looking in her eyes. She looked to me pleading. 

  
  


I kissed her.

  
  
  
  
  
  


I won't bother with the details. I couldn't give the experience justice. I mean, there are clinical descriptions I could give easily, but I lack the poetry to fully convey what happened in those short hours. I don't think anyone has the poetry. 

  
  


It was better than morphing. Better than flying.

  
  


I was happy. For the first time in my life, I understood what was important. I understood the divine excellency of what I had, and I was happy. Truly happy. 

  
  


Stephanie's naked body was laying across my chest. We were both in this half-conscious state of ecstacy. 

  
  


"Take me with you." She said. "Please? Take me with you to the Andalites, and we will fight together. Please?" 

  
  


God, if she had asked for the moon, I would have given it to her. If she had asked me to conquer the Andalite Home World, I would have. "There's something about these 'Andalites' you should know."

  
  


That's when I heard the trucks. Someone was banging hard on the door. I heard someone break in.

  
  


"Shit! It's them! Stephanie, get up! It's the Yeerks." I yelled.

  
  


Stephanie got up quickly. "Shit! No!" She said with an anger I wasn't expecting.

  
  


I shrugged it off to stress. I threw back the covers and quickly put on my boxers and sweats. "It's night, they can bring Hork-Bajir in here. We got to do something. Where's my shirt?"

  
  


She ran naked to her dresser. She opened up a drawer and began looking for something.

  
  


"Thanks." I joked. "But I don't think they'll fit me."

  
  


She pulled out a Dracon Beam and fired.

  
  


*********************************************************************************************

I would be amiss by not giving credit where credit's due. This chapter was inspired by Guardian's "Take These Broken Wings". I waited to give this cred at the end, because I didn't want to spoil the plot.


	26. Broken

  
  


**_August 17, 199910:50 PM_**

  
  
  
  


I opened my eyes. My head hurt like a motherfucker. My whole body ached. My eyes focused. 

  
  


"Mmmph?" I tried to ask. I was gagged.

  
  


"Hello, Lover." 

  
  


My memory returned to me. Stephanie. 

  
  


She shot me. 

  
  


SHE'S ONE OF THEM!!!!!

  
  


I was half-morphed to lion before I was felt low-power dracon beams. Agony filled my half-morphed body. 

  
  


You . . . . I said. I was handcuffed. My legs tied together. I was in some sort of Van. There was some sort of flimsy cage around me. It had dracon beams and read circles that guessed were sensors.

  
  


"Oh you can speak now. Damn." Stephanie said, annoyed. "I wouldn't try to move from that cage. You'll find yourself in a world of hurt."

  
  


I'm already there. I said. When were you taken? Right when they lost me, or did they wait til I was a confirmed accomplice to the Andalites?

  
  


Stephanie shook her head, coyly. "For such a smart boy, you're pretty stupid! You went and spilled your guts about your friends, the Andalites, never knowing the truth. You would have led me right to them. I'd have captured them all and became a real sub-visser, if it weren't for my pool sister Aftran three-nine-five, known to you as Jennie Vo. Ah well, one would have been enough. I guess I was being over ambitious. Always my flaw." 

  
  


Stephanie put one hand on my half-feline head. She must have turned off the Dracon Sensors. I guess she figured I wouldn't hurt her. 

  
  


She was right, but I still shook my head away from her.

  
  


"Don't you love me anymore?"

  
  


You're not the same person.

  
  


"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Davie. I am the exact same person I have always been."

  
  


What the fuck are you talking about?

  
  


"I mean, that I am as I was when you met me. When you asked me out. When you kissed me. When you told me you loved me. When you left me and when you returned to me. The _exact_ same person."

  
  


I realized what this meant. No.

  
  


"Yes." Stephanie laughed. "By the way, guess who's driving the van."

  
  


I turned around and I saw through a little window the driver. He turned around. 

  
  


Jason. "Hey, Buddy. Didn't I tell you to stay out of trouble?"

  
  


Why?

  
  


"Your father, silly. It would have been wonderful to have an agent for the NSA in our ranks. It would make tapping your primitive government so much easier, but in order to get to him we had to get through another way. You.

  
  


"Jason. Me. All a ploy to get your father. Than you move and our entire plan is wasted. So we figure, 'Ok. Time for a new assignment, they'll move us into something better and give our bodies to some Gedd-controllers who've been behaving themselves,' but no! You have to start trouble with the Andalites and now Argul and I have been stuck here in Shit Haven waiting for you to make your move. What the hell took you so long?!"

  
  


It was all a ploy? What? I stammered.

  
  


"You're still stuck on that? Seriously, David, why would a girl like this fall for a guy like you?"

  
  


I was still half-morphed. Wasn't under the influence of any drugs. I don't know how I did it.

  
  


But somehow, within three seconds I was a kodiak bear with one claw stuck in the wall, and another swatting at Stephanie.

  
  


I barely felt the high-powered Dracon beam that sent me reeling back destroying the Dracon sensor-cage. 

  
  


When my consciousness collected I found myself to be one burnt bear. My torso hairless and smoldering. My body aching all over. Pieces of broken ropes and handcuffs everywhere.

  
  


Along with pieces of my heart.

  
  


"Hurrrrroaarrrrrr!" I shouted.

  
  


"What's happening back there?" Jason asked.

  
  


"I don't know how you did that, but do it again, and you're Teddy Grahams!" Stephanie shouted holding the dracon beam.

  
  


Tell me your name. Your Real Name.

  
  


"Aftran three-two-six. Sub-Visser five-hundred-nine. A courtesy rank. If I were treated like a real Sub-visser, I wouldn't be stuck in this stupid body waiting for the Morph-Human to show up."

  
  


I heard of someone else by that name.

  
  


"My pool sister, Aftran nine-four-two, most likely. We think the little bitch has made a deal with the Andalites. She's started some rebellion in the Yeerk ranks. All from the confines of the Yeerk Pool."

  
  


The Yeerk rebellion exists. Maybe there's hope. Maybe there's hope after they take me, and find out all about Cassie, Tobias, Aximili, Marco, Jake, and Rachel. They'll all be taken.

  
  


Something hard knocked the van side. 

  
  


It wasn't me. I said.

  
  


"Aftran," Jason said. "There's something attacking the van. Oh shit, it's an elephant!"

  
  


"The Andalites!" Stephanie yelled.

  
  


Something big landed on the roof. A Gorilla tapped on the Driver's side window.

  
  


May I please see your license and registration? said the Gorilla. No? I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to step out. Marco, the Gorilla, punched threw the window, grabbed Jason, threw him out on to the road and climbed in the driver's seat. David, are you all right?

  
  


Debatable. My ex-girlfriend is holding a Dracon Beam to me and _you_'re driving.

  
  


Fwapp! The back doors to the Van swung open. An Elephant threw an Andalite in the van with her trunk, then ran into the nearby woods. 

  
  


"Filthy Andalite."

  
  


FWAPP! With a simple motion of the flat of his tail blade, Stephanie was out cold. 

  
  


David, are you all right? Aximili asked me.

  
  


No, but physically I am fine.

  
  


A wolf ran up and jumped into the van. David?

  
  


Cassie?

  
  


Cassie looked at Stephanie. Is that-?

  
  


Yes.

  
  


I'm very sorry, David. Cassie said nuzzling her nose into my neck. 

  
  


Guys, we have a problem. Tobias said. We have a lot of vans coming at you from behind and a blockade in front of you.

  
  


Helicopters? Jake asked.

  
  


Yes. No Yeerk ships. That's weird. Tobias said.

  
  


I felt the truck swerve. 

  
  


We're surrounded. Tobias said. I don't think the helicopter sees-AAAHHH!

  
  


Tobias!! Rachel shouted.

  
  


You wasted your time, Cassie. I said. Why did you guys bother to save me?

  
  


Marco came in with a burnt but morphing Tobias and said, Hey! We can't let someone who knows who we are get infested. Bad for security. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

  
  


Thanks, Donkey Kong.

  
  


Anytime, Pooh.

  
  


Tobias was in Hork-Bajir Morph. Ax had left to join Jake and Rachel in warding off controllers. Tobias and Marco each grabbed one of my arms and lifted me up. I was one hurt and burnt bear. 

  
  


Dude, can't you demorph? Marco said.

  
  


Leave me alone. I pouted.

  
  


David, we're getting you out of here. Cassie said.

  
  


The bitch. The conniving bitch!!

  
  


They've got us surrounded, but they're not doing anything. Jake said.

  
  


Look, Aximili said, some one is standing up. Someone with a voice amplifier cone.

  
  


It's called a megaphone, Ax. Rachel said.

  
  


"David Hunting! Come on out." said the voice. I recognized it. My father. James David Hunting. 

  
  


No, Covar One-Nine-Nine.

  
  


Bite me, Covar!

  
  


"Son, it will all be easier if you come with us. Quit being a tool for the Andalites and come and be a part of something great."

  
  


Don't call me that! I shouted.

  
  


David, don't talk back, it'll just get you riled up. Tobias said.

  
  


"Come on Son. Your mother and I miss you."

  
  


Oh, shit. He's going to freak out, isn't he? Marco said.

  
  


He's re-growing his fur and his burn scars are going away. That can't be good. Tobias said.

  
  


David, just chill, don't do--

  
  


WHOAAAAAAAA! Tobias and Marco said simultaneously. I'm sure seeing a gorilla and a hork-bajir fly out of the back of a van was humorous, but I was in the middle of one of my fits.

  
  


I ran out of the van, as one seriously pissed off bear. 

  
  


"Hooooraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" I roared. 

  
  


_A Challenge??!! Nobody challenges me._

  
  


A rushed the human with the megaphone. I felt several pricks on my skin before another human threw himself in my path. 

  
  


With one whack of my paw I had left him sprawling. 

  
  


Covar hid behind a police car.

  
  


Covar!!!! I shouted. Get back here! Covar!!!! 

  
  


I easily pushed the car out of the way and into some more human-controllers. I felt more pinpricks and I started to get dizzy. A noticed an Elephant and Rhino knocking human-controllers out of the way. An Andalite and a Hork-bajir. A Gorilla and a Wolf. They were all fighting random controllers. I was only after one. 

  
  


It's all your fault! It's all your fault, Father! You couldn't have just left me alone!!!! I shouted. 

  
  


I pounced and caught him. He fell on his stomach and turned over on his back. He flailed his arms to protect himself.

  
  


You. It's all your fault, you were always fucking up my life!

  
  


David, stop! Cassie shouted.

  
  


It was all fake. All of it. Just to get to you. Well they have you now. WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?????!!!!!! "Hroooooorraarrrrr!"

  
  


I saw the scars where I slashed him in lion morph. I spared him that time. I also promised to free him. I would kill Covar and free my father.

  
  


_Well, I could still do one of those. _I drew back my paw to strike.

  
  


David, STOP!

  
  


Fuck off, Cassie!

  
  


David, I know you. You can't do this! You're not a murderer!

  
  


You don't know SHIT!!!! I've lost everything, Cassie. EVERYTHING!!! Do you realize what this means??? I'm not talking about material shit, I'm talking about stuff like family. Love. Shit you and the others take for granted.

  
  


Tobias. Ax. They've lost everything too.

  
  


BULLSHIT!! Aximili's parents are alive, well, and free. Tobias, well, he has Rachel, for what that's worth. I don't have anything. It's one thing to lose everything, but to find out that what you lost, you never really had . . . To find out the thing that kept you going was all a FUCKING FAKE . . . You'd be surprised what I could do!

  
  


I lifted my paw for the kill.

  
  


Yes, you could, David. I believe you can. Cassie said. But is it the right choice? Would it make things better? Do you really want to cross that line.

  
  


There is no line. I said defiantly. I raised my paw. 

  
  


I put it down. Covar signed in relief. He started to get up.

  
  


I pushed him back down. Know this, Covar One-Nine-Nine. You will die someday. By my design. Know that despite my actions in the past, your death comes without malice or ill feelings against you as a person. To James David Hunting, my father: I will fulfill my vow to free your from your yeerk keeper. When that happens, be sure that it will be the last time we ever speak. I knocked him out.

  
  


I looked around. Several controllers lay unconscious. My friends do go work. Marco had remorphed to Osprey. Tobias had demorphed. Rachel and Jake were still bullet-ridden pachyderms. Aximili was a harrier. 

  
  


It's time to go home, David. Jake said.

  
  


A car started. I turned my head to see the Van coming at me. I saw the Driver.

  
  


Stephanie. I said. The van came at me. Thirty . . forty . . fifty miles per hour. I was tempted to just let her hit me. 

  
  


David! Aximili shouted.

  
  


Get out of the way! Marco yelled.

  
  


I did something no bear would ever do. (Neither would any sane person.) 

  
  


I circled around and hit the van broadside with my shoulder. 

  
  


I broke my shoulder in the process, but it sent Stephanie swerving off the road.

  
  


"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I heard her scream. She crashed into a tree and her screams fell silent.

  
  


I demorphed. I heard sirens approaching. How did they know to come? They were all ready on their way. Some were Yeerks, I'm sure.

  
  


"Now, we go home."

  
  


Two Chee drove FedEx Trucks from Atlanta to New York. We were in the trucks until we got home. I slept most of the way. Cassie and Aximili were in the car I was in. I didn't talk to them. I didn't talk to anyone.

  
  


Aximili and I flew into our scoop at about noon, the next day. I was withdrawn and I hadn't spoken to anyone.

  
  


Aximili was about to go to the tree he uses to sleep. He turned one stalk eye to me.

  
  


You haven't lost everything, David. Not everything. was all he said.

  
  


I didn't answer back. I laid down in my bed and tried to sleep. My brain wouldn't let me. The sun was too bright. 

  
  


After I knew Aximili was asleep, I spoke for the first time in several hours.

  
  


"Ayla?"

  
  


"Yes, David? How was your trip?"

  
  


I didn't answer her. "Access patient records at Peach Haven Memorial Hospital. Search for Stephanie Gimble."

  
  


"Stephanie Gimble. Admitted on August 18, 1999, 1:16 A.M. Severe concussion. Hairline skull fracture. Compound fractures in both legs. Three broken ribs."

  
  


"Chance of survival?"

  
  


"84%" Ayla announced. She seemed to waver if that's possible for a machine. "I'm very sorry, David." 

  
  


"I didn't know you could feel pity."

  
  


"Not pity. Regret."

  
  


"It isn't your fault Ayla."

  
  


"Yes, I figure a 98.6% chance you would have left to meet Stephanie without my assistance." she said, sounding like the machine she was. "Still though, I am very sorry. Would you like me to update you on Stephanie's status?"

  
  


She would survive. I thought about it. 

  
  


"No."


	27. One Month Later

**__**

September 16, 19993:08 PM

****

Marco

My name is Marco McCabe. Or Marco Mc_Babe_. Heh-heh. Sorry, can't help it. We Animorphs all have our parts. I'm the sexy, sarcastic one. Jake's the fearless leader. Rachel's the warrior. Tobias is the brooding, angsty hawk-boy. Ax is the smart guy. Cassie is the moralizer. 

Then there's David. What is David? 

David's our wild card. He's been with us for six months and he's never really fit in. We all thought he was starting to, but then we found out about Stephanie.

His girlfriend. The angry dude had a girlfriend. Yeah, I'm as surprised as the rest of you.

Well, he _had_ a girlfriend, but being a controller will put a cramp in a relationship. 

I should know.

I don't know why he never told anyone about her. He didn't even tell Cassie, who I'm convinced he had a crush on, girlfriend or not. 

Oh, duh, that's why he didn't tell her. Still, I'm surprised he kept her from us for so long. I mean, he risked his life, all our lives really, to see her. 

He's lucky he's free right now. 

Jake, Tobias, and I were at Ax and David's Scoop. Ax was flipping through the channels. 

"Hey, Ax." I said.

Hay is for Horses, Marco. I prefer grass. Ax answered.

Is that a joke? We can never tell.

"Has he come out at all in the last month?" Jake asked.

Everyday at about six o'clock at night. Ax said. 

"Cassie says he hasn't been eating the food she leaves for him in the barn."

I followed David, a few times. Tobias said. He pretends he's homeless and goes to a Soap kitchen to eat. Then, he'll usually hang out at the Mall. Most of the time he just works out in the Gym or the new karate dojo. He stays in his composite morph. He goes by the name Terry Stevens.

"Terry?" I ask. 

Short for Terrence. I think he took it from the new Batman.

"So that's what he does. He eats, then he works out then comes home and does whatever?" Jake asked.

Pretty much. Tobias says. He's been watching a lot of movies. He sneaks in the theater in some bug morph, then demorphs and watches it. No usher seems to notice.

"Is he getting into any trouble, Tobias?" Jake asked.

Not really. He has a reputation for being moody and grumpy, so most people leave him alone.

"All right, I suppose." Jake said. "Marco, has Erek found out where that notice came from?"

"You mean the one that showed up on the Chee-net about David being spotted in Peach Haven?" I asked.

"Yes."

"No."

"It's been almost a month, Marco."

"Yeah, I know. That whole night was just weird. Erek calls us at 9:45 and tells us that David's been spotted in Georgia. He has no idea where the notice came from. We hitch a ride on a Yeerk Truck Ship. We follow some van and free the bastard. Then he throws me out of the van when he gets pissed. That whole night was just weird."

"Well, we got lucky. We made there and back, alive." Jake said. "But why hasn't Erek and the other chee been able to trace the source of that notice? They have the most advanced technology on the planet."

"Erek said it was untraceable. They couldn't get a lock."

This is unsettling. Aximili said. Whatever sent that notice has powerful encryption capabilities.

Any species you know of, Ax? Tobias asked.

Well, the Dayangs have the best encryption technology in the galaxy. Ax answered. No Andalite could ever hope to crack it. It is the one technology they won't sell.

"Could a Dayang access the Chee-net?"

I don't think so. I believe only a chee could do that. 

"Great, more unanswered questions." Jake said.

David met the Dayangs, remember? Tobias said. 

"You're right, Tobias." Jake said. "We'll have to ask him about it if he ever speaks to us again."

When the next mission comes up, he'll be there. Ax said.

"You sure?"

No. One can never be sure with David. But I believe he'll be there.

I morphed osprey and flew. Jake and Tobias were debating weather to follow David or not. Ax would put in his two cents about when David would leave.

I flew home. You know, I was the first to meet David. He had found the blue box. He was an arrogant, asshole of a person.

David had this sense about himself that was different from the rest of us, but he was also a bit of all of us.

He's determined, like Jake. He's funny and sarcastic, like me. He's a loner, like Tobias. He's smart and inventive, like Ax. He's brutal, like Rachel. He's an idealist, like Cassie.

That's a dangerous mix. No wonder we acted the way we did toward him, I mean, I guess in Ax's and Tobias's and Cassie's case, to see those traits reflected back at you is a welcome blessing.

But for people like Jake, Rachel, and myself, seeing those traits reflected is not a pleasant reminder. I mean, do I really want to be reminded on how scathing I could be. Does Jake really want to be reminded of how hard-headed he is, and I know that Rachel does not want to see her own rage and anger in another person.

That's probably why, even though Rachel and David moderately dislike each other, they trust each other greatly on the battlefield.

But all of this was before. Before what happened a month ago. I've never been in love, but I can imagine what this is doing to him, and I know that he'll be the same in some way. 

But he'll be different. Very different.

I better keep an eye out.


	28. Chance Encounter

****

September 16, 1999 7:49 PM

POW! Right Kick!

POW! Left Kick!

POW!Tornado Kick!

"HuRa! HuRa! HuRa!" I shouted as I punched the bag, but soon all my HuRaing was soon becoming guttural growls and grunts. I had lost the patience to focus my energy. I was spending my energy wildly. 

I was at the gym in the mall. I was in my human morph, which I named Terrence Stevens or Terry. The words of my Sensei from my Karate class a few hours ago play in my head.

"Terry! You have skill and talent, but you are letting your anger cloud your judgement. Let go of your pain."

But Jason St. John could not know the depths of my anger. How could he? How could he know that he reminded me too much of my false friend, Jason Lee.

Yeah, I know, Jason Lee? The Actor? No, of course not. But it was because of the similarity that we saw Mallrats, and the rest is history. Jason and I became View Askew nuts. 

But Jason was a controller the whole time. Which I shouldn't be so surprised. The last movie I saw the actor Jason Lee in was a View Askew movie in which he played a demon. 

Jason and Stephanie were my demons. Demons that maybe I couldn't escape.

I faced them alone. I faced them without the Animorphs. It wouldn't be long before I am called upon to fight the Yeerks, again. I would have to face them. Face what they knew about me.

What am I to be ashamed of? When have I ever shirked away from shame? No, it wasn't scorn I feared.

It was pity. I mean Cassie already worried about me. Aximili and Tobias too to some degree. But Jake? I wanted Jake to be cautious of me. If I can delude myself into thinking that Jake thinks I'm a threat, than I will be less likely to try and prove myself. I need his caution to control my ego. But kind of threat is the saddest, most pitiful wretch in the land? 

Marco? I admit it. I like the guy. We understand each other in way. He was the first person I met here. Although we later hated each other, I don't know. I don't get the hate vibe from him. Even if he does pity me, he won't show it. Marco hates getting pity and thus he never gives it. Pity and mercy just aren't in Marco's repertoire

Rachel? That's a different story. She dislikes me. Adamantly. Which is fine, the feeling is mutual. For her to pity me would just about send me into absolute monstrous rage. To be pitied by that bitch.

I shouldn't say such things. Deep down inside, she is a good person, but her heat-of-the-battle rage is frightening. Even for me.

Ah, fuck em. Fuck em all!

POW! POW! FWAPP! Two punches and a kick later and I was back into my groove, burning out my anger with excess violence. It had become a daily thing for me.

"My, my. Aren't we energetic?" Said a voice. Feminine.

I turned around fast like I was going to be attacked. There, I saw a girl.

A very sexy girl.

HOTT! Not 'hot', mind you, HOTT! But past the knee-jerk penis reaction, her appearance deterred me for one main reason: She looked an awful lot like Rachel. 

Blonde hair. Nice breasts. Icy, steel-blue eyes. Just like Rachel.

This girl had more curvy hips than Rachel, and her nose was different, and she had to be at least a year older. But damn she looked like Rachel.

She was dressed in a very form-fitting leotard. The design made me think of 10 from Batman Beyond, white on the right, black on the left. Or was it the other way around? Anyways, she had white on the right, black on the left. 

She was very fine, but I was not in the mood for courting. 

"What do you want?" I asked rather curtly. 

"And full of attitude, too. What's the matter? Did some poor girl break your heart?" the girl said as she seductively pouted her lips and stroked my cheek. 

I knocked her hand away. "What are you doing?"

The girl got some annoyed look on her face like she can't believe I just did that. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Terry McGinnis." I answered.

"The New Batman?" she asked coyly. This chick new The Bat!

"You know The Bat?" I asked incredulously.

"Shhhh! Don't tell any one." she said, again very coyly. This girl was laying it on thick. And me being me, ate it all up. "I kind of stole the costume of one of the villians." she said displaying her leotard like a runway model.

"10 of the Royal Flush Gang." I said.

"Uh-huh. I could be the Queen. After all, I am the Homecoming Queen for Sandy Hook High."

Sandy Hook is Western High's rival. She's mostly likely a senior, about seventeen-years-old. 

"But something about 10 just appeals to me." the girl continued as she glided her way to me. "Young, sexy, smart." she way about a foot away from my face and putting a hand on my arm. "And not some pun-spouting moron, like the others."

"Well, he's called the Joker for a reason." I quiped.

"From one Bat-fan to another, do I look like I could be 10?"

"You're a '10' all right." I said.

"Ooh, witty too. You might just be the Batman." She said as she leaned close. 

What the hell is this? What does this girl want from me? I'm in here working out and some über-sexy girl comes in and hits on me harder than a drunken prom date. This is like a every guy's fantasy. 

Every guy, except me. Something had to be up. She had to have some hidden agenda.

"What do you want from me?" I asked.

"And suspicious. Definitely, Batman material."

I tested her. "Brain Parasite."

"Parasite? Never. I don't bite, unless you want me too. And as for the brain thing, don't worry, hon. I don't play mind games."

"It is my experience that she who says 'I don't play mind games' play the worst mind games of all."

She backed up and looked coyly at me. "Seems you got a mystery on your hands, Detective." She bent over slightly giving me a decent look down her leotard. She touched my face with her hand. She had soft hands. "Care to have a night to solve it?"

I should just say 'no' and run. "Ok."

We changed out of our work-out clothes (separately, much to my disappointment). And she led me to her car. I was dressed in a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and trench coat I 'borrowed' from a few of the stores. I also had on 'borrowed' Nike shoes. 

The girl led me to her car. A red sports car. Big surprise. "What's your name" I asked.

"Call me . . . 10." She said coyly.

She wouldn't give me her real name. That irked me. "Whatever you say."

I got into her car. She started it up and N*SYNC came blasting out of the speakers. Figures.

"You don't say much, do you?" 10 said after about five minutes.

"Well, I don't what to say really. I'm in the car of a girl I met ten minutes ago. Said girl picked me up at a gym and then won't give me her real name or tell me where she's taking me."

"I'm taking you to a little club I like to go to." 10 said. We pulled up in the parking lot of a dance club. I came out and read the sign. 

"'Club Enigma'?" I asked.

"I like it." There was a mildly long line, but 10 went straight up to the bouncer.

"It's good to see you again, Ms. Kyle." The Bouncer said as she let us in.

"Ms. Kyle?" I ask.

"Not my real name." She said. "I'm only seventeen, but Ms. Kyle is twenty-two and of legal age."

"Twenty-two?"

"I've been going here for a year."

"Ms. Kyle's first name wouldn't be Selina by any chance, would it?"

10 led me to a table and she ordered a dry martini. I asked for a Rum & Coke. Why? Who knows? Despite my recent heartbreak, I find myself being led by the balls by this aspiring Batman-villainess of a siren. I could never love someone like 10. Tobias was the one who went for crazy, sexy, supermodel versions of Genghis Khan. I was also confused. I wasn't lustful for Rachel, why did I feel so drawn to 10? There is hardly a difference from my viewpoint. 

Probably because I never say 10 turn into a grizzly bear.

I actually tried talking to her. "So, you go to Sandy Hook?" I asked.

"Uh-huh" she said as she sipped her martini. Her eyes were facing away from me, scanning the dance floor. The dancers were dancing to some Techno remix of some Brittney Spears song. 

"Let me guess: Cheerleader Captain? Maybe Poms or Drill Team?"

"Uh-huh." She said, not listening at all.

"Maybe you're a varsity fucker."

"What?" She said surprised, turning her attention to me.

"Who are we looking for?" I asked up front.

10 gave me a coy smile. "You dance?"

"Yeah, I'm a smooth dancer. John Travolta ain't got nothing on me." I joked.

"Let's dance."

"I was kidding, you know."

10 dragged me to the dance floor. Stephanie and Jason had taught me how to dance. Limited Success. I did a few moves. I have a good grasp of music and beats. 10 was not impressed, but she danced with me and would often do moves that made her slide across the dance floor such that I'd have to follow her. She stopped in mid-slide for some reason and then turned to me. She suddenly started dancing with me, very closely. Sure, I liked it, but even the most hormone-driven dude in the world knows when he's being used as a tool.

I turned my gaze from my newly, affectionate dance partner to the other dancers around me. Nearest to 10's gaze was a guy, obviously drunk, dancing with two women, one behind and one in front. He often stumbled on to one of the ladies. He could have been that drunk, or just pretending. Hard to tell. 

10 was definitely trying to get his attention. She got impatient and basically, playfully shoved me into him. 

"Hey, watch where you're going asshole!" the Drunk guy yelled at me. He turned his attention away from his two dance partners and faced me, belligerently. 

He was tall. I was about 5'9 and he was 6'1, but I stood up to taller, namely Brett Taggart (6'3). In fact, this guy was a lot like Brett. Dark hair. Blue eyes. Stupider than dirt.

I was having trouble thinking of something witty to say, then 10 interceded.

"Terry! Baby, watch out. I'm going to want you in prime condition." 

"Prime Condition"? "Baby"? What the fuck is she doing????

"T.J.?" the Drunkard asked 10. TJ? What kind of a name is TJ?

"Oh. Hi, Scott." She said very nonchalantly. "Well, Terry and I will be leaving now." She was a total tease.

"Hey, Matrix-boy!" Scott yelled to me. Guess he noticed the trench-coat. "I'd double-bag it if I were you. You wouldn't believe where's she's been!" He taunted. The Britney song ended and another song started. I actually recognized it. K5's "Red Alert." It was in Chasing Amy.

This was not the effect 10 was going for. Her manipulative little face contorted into a three-year-old's expression of hurt. 

I could have just left it alone. I mean, since when have I ever stuck my neck out for anybody?

Fight for others. Steph didn't teach me that. Cassie did.

"Hey!" I shouted "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"I'm Scott Taggart. Captain of the Sandy Hook Football Team." Scott announced. 

"Taggart?!" I repeated incredulously.

"Yeah. And I'm your worst nightmare!"

"You have no idea what my nightmares are like." I said. Scott . . Scott . . no, that was Brian, . . . wait, a minute! I know who this guy is! My memory searched for who this guy was. Taggart is not a common name, this guy had to be related to Brett. 

Brett and I once got into a fight in the middle of class. The two of us were sent to the school psychiatrists. We both had to meet with her alone. She of course, wrote up files about us.

I stole Brett's file. I read it. I regret it because it made me feel sorry for him. I still hated him. 

But this Scott character I couldn't give a damn about. I wanted him out of my hair. And I was pissed that 10 (or TJ or whatever her name is) used me so. Stephanie used me. Cassie used me, in a way. Know 10 was using me. Well, I'm tired of being a fucking tool!!!

"Let's go, Nightmare Boy." Scott yelled at me.

"Seen your Uncle Rudy, lately?" I said.

"What?" He asked surprised.

"It's been, what . . . . ten years? Since that night?"

Scott started to panic. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Must have been terrible. I can only imagine. You're trying to get to sleep. Then you hear your door open. Your Uncle walking softly, but arrogantly in the room."

"Shut up! Shut up! How the fuck . . . . who told you??" Scott yelled as he clutched his head.

"See, first he went after your cousin, Brett. But you just had to speak up. Defy him." Scott started looking at me with terrified eyes. The song had reached a feverish pitch, adding to Scott's living nightmare. "That's when it happened, didn't it, Scott? That's when he stuck it in you!"

Scott launched himself at me. I dodged. Scott ran head-first into a table. The guy sitting there decided he didn't like him and started to punch him. A bouncer came and took them both away. 10 followed him.

Figures. I checked the clock. It was 9:30. Shit! I need to demorph.. I ran into the bathroom. I demorphed. I took some water into my real hands and threw them into my real face. I looked at myself. I morphed back into 'Terry Stevens.' 

"It's all fake." I said. "Everything in my life has been a fake."

I left the bathroom. I expected to find 10 gone and me abandoned. No big deal, I could fly home. Instead, I saw her sitting at the table, alone. Sulking. I sat down. She looked at me surprised.

"You used me." I said.

"What did you say to him?" She asked.

I lied. "Nothing. I made it all up."

"Well, Scott doesn't think so."

"What the hell is going on between you and him?" I asked.

10 didn't answer right away. "He's my ex-boyfriend." She said finally. 

"You brought me here to make him feel jealous."

"Yeah." She admitted. "Didn't work."

"So, he dumped you?"

"Yeah. You know, I thought I was in love. I thought he loved me. Five months, we were together. I gave my cherry to him!" 10 said, very sincerely, very sadly. Very familiar. "I was just a prop to him. A decoration. You know, he only dates girls whose parents are in places of authority."

"You serious?"

"Yeah. I mean, so what my mother is chief of police. That doesn't tell anything about me. I mean, I could be a law breaker." She said. She held up her glass. "Oh, yeah. I am."

"I kind of know what you mean. I mean, I thought I was in love once." I said. "But she was only with me because my father was an army general."

10 made many gestures in agreement. "You see? What's up with people like that? I mean, ah! You know he already has a new girlfriend? A principal's daughter. I mean really. Chief of Police . . . Principal. Chief of Police . . . Principal." 10 made balance gestures with her hands. "I mean is that really a step up? I guess, I'm just undesirable, or something."

Now, I mean any idiot can see that this is a line. I knew it was a line. Was I really going to take the bait of a Rachel Clone?

But . . . well, . . . it's just that . . . well, thing was . . . . She was hurt. I mean, the person she loved was not who she thought he was, and she found out that he never really loved her. He was a liar just out for his own gain, and she lied, cheated, and manipulated other people to get what she wanted: revenge.

I guess, at that moment I found a kindred spirit in that girl known to me simply as 10. 

"You're not undesirable. You're a beautiful, intelligent women. And any guy would be lucky to spend a few hours with you. Even if you were using him." 

She smiled. "I'm sorry about that."

"That's ok. I had a nice time. Ever since said break-up, I don't get out much."

"Let's go home." She said.

"I don't know if I want to tell you where I live."

"No," she said, grabbing my arm. Such soft hands. "My home."

I woke up, and realizing where I was, I panicked. I looked to the left. 10 was still sleeping. Good. After a very energetic night, I had to stay up until 10 fell asleep. Then I demorphed and slept. Now that I'm awake and 10 still sleeping, I morphed back to Terry Stevens. It would be quite a mess if 10 woke up next to a different guy than who she went to bed with the night before. I was awake, and I was Terry. Not wanting to waste any time I lightly kissed 10 on the lips. She woke up.

"Hi." She said. "What time is it?" 

"Um, about 9:00."

"Oh, shit!" she said as she jumped out of bed. "You have to get out of here. My parents will be back from their conference, and I'm already late for school!"

"You have a half-day today. By the time you get there, it'll be 10. You get out at 12, why bother?"

"Terry? Please?" She pleaded.

I got dressed, and 10 quickly ushered me toward the door. 

"Terry, I mean, I had a nice time last night, but I don't think . . ." 10 started to say.

I stopped her. "I understand. I mean, last night was very . . . therapeutic, but I'm definitely not ready to rush into anything."

"Yeah." She said, laughing. "Me either. But, you know, if you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to give me a call."

I probably wouldn't. "No problem." I said.

10 started to close the door. I stopped it. "Hey, what's your real name, anyway?"

She bit her lip. "Taylor." She said finally. "Taylor Jane Perkins."


	29. I am Jack's Moment of Revelation

  
  


**_October 30, 19999:13 PM_**

  
  


"On a long enough time-line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

  
  


"The things you own end up owning you."

  
  


"I am Jack's Raging Bile Duct"

  
  


"Our fathers were our models for God."

  
  


"It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."

  
  


"I am Jack's Smirking Revenge"

  
  


"You are not your job.

You're not how much money you have in the bank.

You're not the car you drive.

You're not the contents of you wallet.

You're not your fucking khakis.

  
  


You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world."

  
  


FWAP! "I felt like putting a bullet between the eyes of every panda that wouldn't screw to save its species."

  
  


FWAP! FWAP! "I wanted to open the dump valves on oil tankers and smother all those French beaches I'd never see."

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


_I was caught in the banquet hall. They dragged to that false pillar which was really a hologram. The controller that had me was going to make me his host._

  
  


_ I kicked him in the balls. I got up as he tried to reach for his Dracon Beam but I took it and threw it out of the pillar. Still hunched over, I elbowed him in the back of his head, knocking him to the ground. I straddled him, getting ready to pummel him. He rolled onto his back hoping to fend my attack. He put up a hand on my face to block me, but I punched him straight across his lip, FWAP! Bursting it, leaving him half-conscious. I could have left him there and escaped. _

  
  


_I punched him again. FWAP! And again. FWAP! And again. FWAP! And again. _

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to crucify all the assholes who used God or whatever deity as an excuse to kill people._

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to lynch every throwback who thought they were superior just because they were white._

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to butt-fuck every shithead who persecuted gays and lesbians._

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to castrate all the bastards who thought they were superior just because they had a penis._

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to rape all the bitches who thought they were superior just because they didn't._

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to feed all the environmentalist assholes who wanted to sacrifice human lives just so some other animal can survive to some giant exotic snake._

  
  


_FWAP! I wanted to breathe smoke._

  
  


FWAP! "I wanted to breathe smoke."

  
  


Another month has passed. Two months since that fateful night with Stephanie. One month since that night with Taylor Jane Perkins, or as I will fondly remember her, '10'. I left her house only to be dragged into some God-awful, pointless battle involving chimpanzees, cows, steer, a slaughterhouse, and secret yeerk formula that Cassie and I insisted couldn't exist. We were right of course, but still we meandered into that meat-packing plant using Bird & Blue as our Trojan horses. (Bulls actually.) If you ever wondered where your hamburger came from, take my advice and don't ask. I was personally reintroduced to why I prefer chicken.

  
  


The chimpanzee was a cool morph, but I wanted something with a little more power. I acquired a baboon weeks later. You feel like Batman in that morph. Agile _and _strong. The Baboon was a dangerous animal, but not as dangerous as good old homo sapien, as this night's entertainment has shown me.

  
  


I just saw _Fight Club_.

  
  


And I am Jack's blown mind.

  
  
  
  


The convenience store is the epitome of a rock-bottom life. It was from this pit that Kevin Smith catapulted himself into a major director. And it was from this pit in which Raymond K. Hessel was untimely ripped by Tyler Durden and chased back onto his chosen path of pre-med.

  
  


Let's see if this human sacrifice thing works.

  
  


I walk into the place, appropriately called Faststop. There's a guy behind the counter that looked about twenty-five but was probably younger. His hair was wet from the sweat of the heating pizza oven next to him. He smelled of oregano and mountain dew. He looked miserable and bored. Poor guy. It may seem pretentious of me, some fucked-up fifteen-year-old boy passing judgement on someone who was at most a decade my senior, but I was a warrior. I had to grow the hell up pretty fucking quick, and I was very pissed off about it.

  
  


"We have no Great War . . . no Great Depression." Tyler once said.

  
  


There was a problem with that particular Durdenism. We do have a great war and our great depression is yet to come.

  
  


I approached the clerk as me, David Hunting.

  
  


"Hey Dante! Do you know who I am?"

  
  


The clerk gave me a quick glance full of righteous annoyance. As if he were the only clerk in New Jersey who's been called Dante. "No. Why? Should I?"

  
  


"Do you know what a Yeerk is?"

  
  


"They should be in front of you, next to the M & M's. And if you have a problem with my breath, I suggest backing up."

  
  


"Not a York. A Yeerk."

  
  


The clerk shook his head. "No."

  
  


"Just checking." I jumped the counter. The Clerk punched immediately and reached for a gun. I knocked it away and punched him to the ground. I picked him up and escorted him out the back way. The clerk felt a sharp object in close proximity to his back. He assumed it was a knife, I'm sure. Why should he think I had a Hork-Bajir blade sticking out of my wrist?

  
  


Once we were outside, I pushed the clerk to the ground. "Hands behind your back. Give me your wallet."

  
  


The clerk complied. "You're wasting your time. There's about as much in there for a pack of cigarettes and a 3-Musketeers bar." 

  
  


"Shut up." I said as I found his license. "Ryan Gryphon. 1101 Eden Prairie Avenue. Apartment A. Small cramped basement apartment, right?"

  
  


"How'd you know?"

  
  


"Works everytime." I said as I placed the blade to his throat. "Ryan, you are going die. I hope Mommy and Daddy kept good fingerprint records cause I'll be taking your head for my collection."

  
  


Ryan gave a half-scared, half-angry groan. Ryan's a fighter. No community-college ID. Wait. Ah, a Rutgers ID. Hidden behind a condom. How nice.

  
  


"A Rutgers ID card. You're a little out of the way for a Rutgers student." I said.

  
  


"I don't go there anymore."

  
  


"What did you study?"

  
  


"Listen, if you want to rob me, fucking rob me. Don't waste my ti-"

  
  


I pressed my blade to his throat letting a trickle of blood spill. "Answer the fucking question. What did you study, Ryan Gryphon?"

  
  


"Ow! Son of a-! Journalism! I wanted to start my own magazine. Entertainment stuff. Movies, books. Something like Aint-it-cool-news.com only with some style. I made one issue and it flopped."

  
  


"A critic. Figures. You'll need more than journalism, friend. Take some business classes. Get investors. Advertising."

  
  


"It's a lot more work than I can handle."

  
  


"Would you rather be dead? Beheaded behind a fucking convenience store?"

  
  


Ryan offered no answer to that. I removed the blade. "I'm keeping your license. If you are not on your way to becoming Harry Knowles' rival in six weeks, you will be dead." I tossed him his wallet. "Go home."

  
  


Ryan Gryphon ran home.

  
  


I am Jack's pleasant surprise.

  
  


I looked at Ryan's license. _Huh. You're not a bad-looking guy Ryan. You look a lot like Terry Stevens._

  
  
  
  


I hate Manhattan. I mean really, what an urban shit-hole. If it wasn't for the theater, I'd propose sinking this damn island into the ocean. There's a major Yeerk Pool complex under the entire island. The Yeerk pools are all connected via access tunnels and communiques. A large Yeerk Pool takes care of Manhattan Island. While a little under a hundred Yeerk pools take care of the rest of upper New England, mostly centered around large cities. The East Coast is so densely populated anyway, it's practically honeycombed with yeerk pools. There are three large Yeerk Pools under New Jersey alone, that connect to Manhattan. They connect to giant complex under Pennsylvania and Maryland. Centered around Philadelphia, the complex passes threw the Mason-Dixon Line and feeds the Baltimore Yeerks. That connects to very large pool under the District of Columbia that also feeds Annapolis, Southern Maryland, and Northern Virginia. And it goes on and on and on. 

  
  


According to Ayla, the Pools are all connected through the network. If I can find someway to destroy one while detonating the others, than the Yeerk conquest will be heavily hurt. But, that will also result in many Human deaths. Even by destroying one pool, I cause giant pothole in Mid-New Jersey or even Manhattan, and as much as I hate the place, I don't think it should be destroyed.

  
  


Especially since it's the only good place to party anymore.

  
  


"Okay, Mr. Gryphon, right this way."

  
  


I was able to pass through as Mr. Gryphon without even acquiring him. Terry Stevens looked enough like him. 

  
  


Techno music.

  
  


"Feel the Pressure. Come play my game, I'll test ya." "Psychosomatic-Addict Insane!"

  
  


_I'll live_.

  
  


Something about all the bodies pressed in together. The shouting in tongues like at a Pentecostal Church. It turns me off and tires me. 

  
  


I sat down and watched the people. Mostly the women. I received several looks from the ladies. I'm a poor judge of male beauty, but I gather that my morph was rather attractive. I was checking out several ladies when I spotted Melissa Chapman.

  
  


Oh yeah. Melissa. Melissa was pixish girl, small and slender. A gymnast. I met her on a beach last summer while I was trying to acquire a whale. She had beautiful grey eyes.

  
  


She also was the daughter of Hedrick Chapman, Principal of Western High School, the school that all of my fellow Animorphs, save Bird & Blue, go to. Melissa went there to. It must have been hard for her. Bad enough when he was the Vice-principal of her middle school, now he was the Big cheese of her high school. Having authority figures for parents suck. I should know.

  
  


But Melissa suffered from something more subtle than that. Hedrick Chapman was a controller. A powerful one. As is her mom. It must be very heart-breaking for a teenage whose parents stop loving them all of the sudden. 

  
  


The lack of any parental hold was starting to take shape in Melissa. She was dressed much in a way 10 was when we went to the club. Short, tight-fitting dress. Masochistic shoes. Does her daddy know she's in a New York Club? How'd she get in here anyway? Does her daddy even care?

  
  


She was sitting alone at a table, drinking who know what. I decided to walk over to her. When she met me, I was carelessly still David Hunting. She never met Terry Stevens.

  
  


"Hi." I said.

  
  


She looked up. "Hi."

  
  


"Mind if I sit?" I said as I sat down, not waiting for an answer. 

  
  


"Actually I don't you should. I'm not a bitch or anything, just if my boyfriend sees you here . . ."

  
  


"You have a boyfriend." I quickly repeated. _That's new._

  
  


"Sort of."

  
  


"Do you want to talk about it?"

  
  


She gave a short chuckle. "Who are you?"

  
  


"I'm Terrence Stevens. You can call me Terry."

  
  


"Melissa Chapman. Don't call me Missy or I'll kick you."

  
  


"I'll keep that in mind."

  
  


Melissa took a zip of her drink. It was water-clear with bubbles. Could be water, could be Zima. "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

  
  


"That's an odd question to ask a guy you just met."

  
  


She laughed again. "I don't mean you."

  
  


"Your boyfriend then."

  
  


"No. Not him either. This blond guy I met at the beach."

  
  


_Uh-oh._ "Does Blond guy have a name or . .?"

  
  


She laughed yet again. Either I was funny or that really was Zima. "I'm sure he does, but I never got it. My _dad_ showed up and he like freaked out and left. He wanted to see the whale with me."

  
  


She said 'dad' like a curse word. _Holy shit. She's talking about me! _"Whale?" I asked.

  
  


"Yeah. This sperm whale washed up on a beach in my hometown."

  
  


"California?"

  
  


"How did you know?" She asked suspiciously.

  
  


"I live there. Near the sticks."

  
  


"Wow. In the same town and we had to meet in New York City."

  
  


"We might not have met at all." I said.

  
  


"That's true." she said. 

  
  


"So if you're pining for the mysterious blondie, why are you dating this guy?"

  
  


She shrugged. "Because. He's like the only guy to care about me. Only person really."

  
  


"Your parents?" I offer, although I knew those circumstances.

  
  


"Don't get me started."

  
  


"Your friends then."

  
  


She shook her head slightly with a half-smile. "I don't really have any friends. I mean I have friends, but they aren't close. Not anymore. I had this friend named Rachel. I guess she's still my friend. We still talk at school. We still talk at gymnastics, when she shows. But, she seems so distant lately. So . . . uncaring. Like my parents."

  
  


"I'm sure your parents care for you. I am sure this Rachel does too."

  
  


"I know my parents care for me. Even if they don't show it. I know Rachel does too; she does show it. But there's something about her that's changed. My parents too. I mean, with my parents, it's as if something's missing, but with Rachel, it's as if something . . . grew." She said grasping for the words.

  
  


"Is that bad?"

  
  


"I think this is. Rachel isn't the same person she was when I was close to her."

  
  


"High school will do that."

  
  


"No, this different. This is . . . . dangerous."

  
  


"Okay, no Zima for you."

  
  


"It's just carbonated water." Melissa said putting her head down. "Ug! Sorry. You probably didn't come over here to listen to some little girl's problems."

  
  


"Between you and me, we're probably the same age. And it's fine. I mean I understand that you latched onto your current boyfriend, because he gave you affection. And people need affection, no matter how much they deny otherwise. A word of caution, though. Just because he shows affection, doesn't mean it's real."

  
  


"Yeah. I know. My parents dumped me. Rachel dumped me."

  
  


"You are Jack's Broken Heart."

  
  


She lifted her head up with a confused look.

  
  


"Sorry. I just saw-"

  
  


"_Fight Club_. I just saw that with my boyfriend."

  
  


"Get out of here. Me too. Your boyfriend took you to see _Fight Club_?" I asked with a bit of disgust. 

  
  


"I liked it."

  
  


"_You _liked _Fight Club_?"

  
  


"What?" She asked accusingly.

  
  


"I don't know, it just seems like a guy's movie."

  
  


"Yeah, well it would hearing Scottie talk. He's all. 'Hey Fry? Did you see those fights. They were fucking awesome.'"

  
  


"Scottie?"

  
  


"My boyfriend."

  
  


"He calls you 'Fry'?"

  
  


"Don't ask."

  
  


I laughed. "Well that's what I thought it was gonna be, but I heard so much about it, so I had to see it, and I was fuckin' blown away."

  
  


"Yeah. I mean it's just as much a philosophical movie as it is an action movie."

  
  


"Probably more so, but it's _male _philosophy. It's about their place in the world. What is our place? Which is why I'm still surprised you like it so much."

  
  


"Well. Some of these philosophies are for everyone. That whole 'You are not your job' thing. And one in particular stuck with me. 'It's only after we've lost everything-" 

  
  


"-that we're free to do anything." We said at the same time.

  
  


"Have you lost everything, Melissa?" I asked.

  
  


"Not as much as some people, I'm sure."

  
  


"Sometimes, if you lose something great, it means everything. And what you have doesn't matter."

  
  


"But it should matter. You should focus on what you have left."

  
  


"Yeah. Maybe I should." I said. "Maybe you should too. Maybe _we_ should."

  
  


"Yeah." she said, taking my hand in hers. 

  
  


"What the fuck!?" someone shouted. Melissa and I turned around. "YOU!!!!" said the voice.

  
  


"Scottie. We were just talking." Melissa said quickly.

  
  


"Taggart!" I said to Melissa's boyfriend. Her boyfriend was Scott Taggart.

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


_"__You know he already has a new girlfriend?" 10 told me about her ex-boyfriend, Scott Taggart. "A principal's daughter. I mean, really. Chief of Police . . . Principal. Chief of Police . . . Principal. I mean, is that really a step up?"_

  
  


"What the fuck you doing here, Matrix-boy? What were you doing with my girlfriend?"

  
  


"Maybe you should tell your girlfriend what you were doing with those two dancers at Club Enigma a month ago. I know you two were dating then."

  
  


"What's he talking about, Scottie?" Melissa asked.

  
  


"First TJ, now Fry. Who the fuck are you? Why are after me?"

  
  


"I'm not. You just keep getting in my way!"

  
  


Scott picked me up by my shirt. "I should rip your fucking head off!"

  
  


"Don't make idle threats to me, meathead. You have no idea with whom your dealing with." I said.

  
  


"Outside. Now!" Scott shouted.

  
  


"Scottie, don't!" Melissa shouted as we walked outside. Melissa followed us into an alley. "Terry, please don't."

  
  


I took off my shirt and shoes. "No shirt. No shoes." I said.

  
  


Scott complied and did the same. Now, Scott was taller, but my morph was pretty broad, compliments of Jake. 

  
  


"Someone yells 'Stop!', goes limp, taps out, the fight is over." I recited.

  
  


"The fight is over when you suck my dick!"

  
  


"You work out your homoeroticism on your own time."

  
  


"You fucking talk to much."

  
  


"So I hear." I said, as I kicked him in the face. He lunged at me. I dodged and kneed him in the stomach and elbowed him in the head as he fell over. 

  
  


"Terry, don't hurt him!" Melissa shouted.

  
  


I looked at her. She was pleading me with her eyes. I began to walk away. 

  
  


"Get back here!" Scott said as he tried to get up. "I'm gonna fuck you up!"

  
  


I continued to walk. "Shall I call you 'Uncle Rudy'?" I asked.

  
  


"Motherfucker!!" He shouted as he rushed me and pushed me to the ground. He straddled me and began pummeling me in the face.

  
  


"Scottie! Don't!" Melissa shouted.

  
  


FWAP! FWAP! FWAP! This must be how that controller felt when I turned his face into hamburger meat. This was what it felt like to be the victim of so much rage. It was good that I knew. 

  
  


FWAP! FWAP! FWAP!

  
  


"Scott! Stop it!" Melissa said as she ran to Scott and tried to pull him off me. Scott pushed her down. 

  
  


FLASH!!

  
  


_Brett Taggart was pummeling me. Stephanie launched herself at Brett to stop him, but he caught her and threw her down onto the ground. _

  
  


_Needless, to say I was not happy._

  
  


FWAP! CRUNCH! A final punch broke my nose. I caught my breath and sprayed. 

  
  


"Motherfucker." Scott said as he got up. 

  
  


I launched my self at him. Now I was straddling him. I could have punched his lights out. I thought of something else. I began to cough and spit out all my blood he had released on my face.

  
  


Tyler's actions from my body. And I used to be such a nice boy. 

  
  


No, I wasn't.

  
  


"*HACK! BLUAAA!* I had a good fuck with Taylor last month." I told Scott who was now screaming with fright. "What were you saying about diseases?" I laughed evilly

  
  


"You sick fuck! You Tyler Durdin wannabe!" Scott yelled.

  
  


"Tell her!"

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"Tell Melissa why you're dating her."

  
  


"Cause I like her."

  
  


I spit blood and mucus into his face. "The real reason!"

  
  


"Ah! Cause her dad's a principal!"

"When were you gonna leave her, Scottie-boy?!"

  
  


"Aaaah! As soon as I fucked her!" Scott finally admitted.

  
  


I let him go and I saw Melissa speedily leave the alley and run down the sidewalk. 

  
  


Sharp pain in my stomach! Scott had stabbed me with a broken bottle! He tried to kill me!!! 

  
  


I faced him with the broken bottle in my stomach. I pulled out the bottle. I had to demorph. Only way to survive, but then I'd have to kill Scott. He couldn't know who I was. I don't want him tracing Terry to David. 

  
  


The pain disappeared. I looked down. My stomach wound was healing. I could breathe from my nose again. My face was healed too. Scott's eyes widened with fear and awe. 

  
  


"Run." I told him. 

  
  


Scott ran away quickly.

  
  


I put my shoes and shirt on and went out to find Melissa. She wasn't anywhere in sight. 

  
  


I snuck onto the train back to New Jersey and flew home. Aximili was asleep. Good. 

  
  


"Ayla."

  
  


"Yes, David."

  
  


"Are there any recent reports in New York involving a girl that matches the description of Melissa Chapman?"

  
  


"A few, David. Why? There's only a 12% chance that she's a controller."

  
  


"I ran into her at House of Life. It's a club in New York. Melissa Chapman was there I want to know what happened to her."

  
  


"Apple Angel Taxi #37 picked up a passenger at an address near the House of Life. The passenger's destination was 126 January Lane, the residence of Hedrick Chapman . . . and family."

  
  


"Thank God."

  
  


"David?"

  
  


"Yes, Ayla."

  
  


"She's gonna cause trouble for us, isn't she?"

  
  


"There's no 'us' here, Ayla. This is something I'll have do for myself."

  
  


"Humans and emotions. Why do humans do strange things out of emotions?"

  
  


"Check Shakespeare." I said. "Not right now!"

  
  


"Why not?"

  
  


"I'm tired, Ayla. I don't feel like getting into a philosophical debate."

  
  


"Oooh. I just read Shakespeare. I see your point."

  
  


"Find me a book, Ayla." 

  
  


"It doesn't always turn out bad. Sometimes it's all right. Like Benedick and Beatrice. Petruchio and Katrina."

  
  


"Ayla."

  
  


"Fine. Author and Title?"

  
  


"Palahniuk, Chuck. _Fight Club_."

  
  


"Is this required reading for the course?"

  
  


"Couldn't hurt. Oh. Remind in six weeks to check up on Ryan Gryphon."

  
  


"Why?"

  
  


"It's time to take the Human Resistance up a notch."


	30. Halloween

Hey, sorry for the long wait. It's been hectic around here. Much thanks to the ever energetic Cougar19. Don't be afraid to pester me to get something done.

******************************************************************************

**__**

October 31, 19997:30 PM

"What am I doing here?" I asked no one in particular. I was at Western High's Halloween Dance. Odd that they would hold a school dance on a school night, but since it is Halloween, it keeps the trouble makers off the street.

However, this dance blows. No costumes. Shitty music. And they're charging way too much for the candy. I mean, isn't the point of Halloween supposed to be free candy?

I was in morph, Terrence Stevens strikes again. We were all there. Jake, Marco, Rachel, Bird, Blue, and Cassie.

Cassie looked hot. Rachel had obviously chosen the wardrobe. Cassie had a very nice dress on. It made me realized that, over the past few months, I had failed to notice that Cassie grew breasts. Very unlike me.

We Three Forest Boys were in our human morphs. The six of us (Marco hadn't arrived yet) were just hanging around. Rachel told us not to draw attention to the fact that Jake and Cassie are "together". Whatever.

"David, Ax, you look good." Cassie commented. 

"You too." was all I said.

"Do I make you randy, bay-bee?" Aximili blurted.

"Ok, you need to stop doing that!" I said to my 'brother'. "Why did you let him watch that movie?" I asked Tobias.

"Sorry." Tobias said. 

"Ok, David, Ax, are we clear on rules and identities and stuff?" Jake asked, very leader-like.

"Lighten-up Fearless Leader! I am as I always am in this body, Terrence Stevens."

"Ax?"

"I am Philip. Your cousin from way-out of town. I have been to your school once."

"That's your whole weak-ass story? Cousin Phil? Give him a last name." I gripped.

"Fine," Jake said, "He has yours. Philip Stevens. You guys look like brothers anyway."

"Fine." I said. "But I'm the older one."

"Alright, come on. We spend all this time together; we don't need to do it right now." Rachel said, as she less-than-subtly guided the three of us away from Cassie and Jake.

"You know, Rachel. You have about as much tact in love as you do on the battlefield." I said as I turned to Tobias. "Good Luck."

With that Rachel smacked me on my head and tried to take off with Tobias leaving me alone with the Alien. 

"Hey, Aximili, you should go with Tobias and Rachel. They can teach how to dance better."

"Ah, human dancing. Wild, bah-bee! Oh, Bee-have!" Aximili shouted as he followed a surprised Rachel and Tobias. 

I am pure evil.

I found Marco soon afterward. He was hitting on some chick and she kindly gave him the brush-off.

"Smooth move, Cassanova." I shouted.

"Hey, at least I'm trying." Marco said. "You haven't been with anyone since you-know-who."

"Oh, yeah. Surprising, given all the available women one finds in the forest."

"Davie, I know you go to the mall everyday. Don't tell me there isn't some girl you've been eyeing at the food court."

"You have such stupid, sophomoric fantasies. And don't call me Davie."

"Listen, man. Just try. You're reasonable handsome, . . . in that morph."

"Shut up, Dude. Why are _you_ giving _me_ advice? Unlike you, I have been laid."

"Now who's being sophmoric. And you were laid by a slug."

"Fuck you, man. And I'll have you know I've had a 100% human girl since then. Insanely Hot too."

"What? Who?"

"I don't kiss and tell."

"You just did. Who?"

"You don't know her. She goes to Sandy Hook."

"So you go up to this hot girl, do your thing, and she sleeps with you."

"Exact opposite."

"You are shitting me."

"Oh, I shit you not, my short friend."

"Insanely hot girls do not randomly pick up guys." Marco argued.

A redhead girl, whom I can only describe as being beyond sexy, chose that time to make her presence known.

"Hi." said the redhead.

"Hey." I answered back.

"It's official." Marco said. "God is mocking me."

"I'm Traci Lee." said the redhead.

"The Superslut?" Marco blurted.

Traci glared at Marco. So did I. 

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Marco realized. "I'm gonna go away now."

Marco walked off and Traci looked back at me. "Don't mind him." I said. "He's sexually frustrated."

"A cute, bubbly guy like that?" Traci said. "What's your name?"

"Terrence Stevens." I said. "You can call me Terry."

"I think I like Terrence better." Traci said stroking my head. And I mean the one on my shoulders.

"Whatever gets you off."

"Interesting choice of words, Terrence." Traci said, getting close to me. 

"You don't know anyone by the name Scott Taggart, by any chance, do you?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

"You know, I haven't seen you around here."

Traci looked at me with warm brown eyes. She had dark red hair which was complimented by her sexy red dress and deep red lips. She also had a nice bust. I tried not to notice that a part of her right areola was showing.

"I don't go to this school. I don't go to any school."

"A dropout?" She said with total disgust. "What made you leave?"

"Well, they did, when I graduated."

"How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen. I graduated two years ago." I lied.

"Yeah, right. How come you're not in college?"

"Fuck that! I'll go next year with everyone else my age."

"So you're a smart one."

"You could say that."

"So, tell me what does a rebellious, young, kid genius do with his time?" Traci said as she turned around and leaned up against me, putting my arms around her.

She was coming on strong. Why is it that every girl I meet either comes on strong or not at all? 

I decided to test her. "The usual. Work-out. Go places. Work. Kill a Yeerk."

"What?" She shouted as she turned around fast and looked at me with eyes that were once warm, but now cold with ice.She was one of them. No doubt.

I recovered. "I said I'm a clerk. In a library. Not in a convenience store like in the movie."

"Oh, ok." Traci said, but still not totally trusting me. "Well, tell me does the library have any books on Tantra?" She asked, once again climbing on me. 

I had to get rid of her. I was not gonna carry on with a yeerk. So I did something very risky. "Don't waste your time, pool-sister, I'm already a 'friend'. You know, there are less degrading ways of obtaining hosts."

"I'd watch your tongue, soldier." Traci said. "You may think that I'm Treishan One-Zero-One-Two, but right now, Sub-Visser One has this body."

That I didn't expect. "Sub-Visser, I'm sorry. I didn't know. What happened to Treishan?"

"She will be back in this body, when I'm done with it. I wanted to try it out. Humans don't impress me. I much prefer my regular Hork-Bajir body. However, I would not be down playing Treishan's work. She has recruited many stupid males to our ranks, and she will continue to do so. Tell me how many hosts have you obtained, soldier?"

"Not as many Treishan."

"Than hold your tongue." Said the Sub-Visser. "What is your name, Yeerk?"

"Esplin One-Zero-One-Two." I lied. "I am the same number as Treishan."

"How quaint, and you're another of the Visser's pool-brothers." said the Sub-Visser in disgust. She paused to give a flirty wave to another guy. "Carry on, Esplin." She said as she left me.

I walked around a crowd, shuddering to myself for having come too close to a controller. It was then that I bumped into Melissa. She was in a dress. It was less revealing than the one I saw her in yesterday.

It was pretty. She was pretty.

"Hi." I said awkwardly.

"Hi." She said, as awkward.

After a few seconds. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be." she said. "He was an asshole. I don't know what I was doing with him." Melissa wouldn't face me. She was looking down on the floor.

I lifted her chin up gently. "Nonetheless, I'm sorry. I know what it feels like to be alone."

"How do you know?" She asked, suddenly accusing. No, just defensive. 

"You live with your parents, but you feel as though they don't love you. They say the words, but there's no feeling. My parents have been the same way. Because of that, save a few happenstance encounters, I have not spoken to my parents in six months."

"You're a runaway?" She asked me.

"Sort of, I guess. I have a home. Just not with my parents."

"Isn't this cozy?" 

I turned around and I saw Rachel. 

"Da . . . Terry, what are you doing with my friend?"

"Just talking, Rachel. She mentioned you." I said.

Melissa covertly kicked me.

"Yeah, well, your 'roommate' has been hanging around us for the past few minutes thanks to you." Rachel said rather annoyed. "It's been . . . interesting, but I think you need to see him now."

"Send Marco. I'm busy."

"I did, but he can't seem to get him away from the concession table."

"Son of a . . ." I stopped myself and turned to Melissa. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok." Melissa said.

"I think you need to go now." Rachel pressed.

"Don't rush me, mallrat." I said as I made a bee-line to the concession stand.

"More sugarrrrrr and grrrreasssseeee!"

A few kids were gathered around the table watching a boy hunched over and shoveling junk food in his mouth. Another boy was trying to stop him.

"A . . Philip, you shouldn't do that!" Marco said pathetically trying to calm Aximili down.

"Phillie! Brother, what are you doing?" I said, trying to get Aximili's attention.

"Hey Terry!" Marco answered. "Where's Traci?"

"Don't Ask. Philip, what are you doing?"

"I'm eating sugarrr, sal-tah, and grreassssssssssssse!"

"That's wonderful. You should stop now, we don't want to alert _Principal Chapman_."

That got his attention real quick. Aximili may be like a kid in a candy store in human morph, but he's a soldier at a moment's notice.

He stood up real quick and gave a nauseous groan. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....."

"Phil, you ok?" I asked.

"Too much grease. Greeeeaseeeee!"

"Yes, Grease is the word." I said. No one got the reference. Uncultured swine.

"Oh, Bee-have!" Aximili said in a pseudo-English accent again.

"Stop that!"

We got Aximili cleaned up and joined up with the others. So the seven Animorphs hung around a dance like the rag-tag group of misfits we are.

"Ax-man." Marco said. "Someone is checking you out."

All of us guys (except Jake, the pansy) turned our heads to see a cute red-head and her even cuter blond friend. It was the red-head who had her eye on Blue.

"No way." Tobias said. "She's looking at _me_." Tobias said, turning to see Rachel's reaction.

But Rachel was obviously a master at the hard-to-get game. "Uh-huh. Maybe after the dance, you could take her back to your tree." she said batting her eyes.

"Hey, the chicks go wild for the feathers, bay-bee!" Tobias said.

"Ah, hell, now you're doing it!" I said.

"Sorry," Tobias laughed. "Ax had Austin Powers on his TV last night."

The red-head and the blonde continued to look at Aximili, but then I realized: The blonde was looking at me.

"Hey Blue! Those girls are totally checking us out." I said.

"Checking us out? What does that mean?"

"It means the girls are warm for your form. It means she wants your body." Marco explained.

"My bodeee?!" Aximili said, alarmed.

"Not like that. Though, it's getting hard to tell these days."

"Buh-dee. B-dee." 

"David, I think Brittany, she's the blond, has been eyeing you." Tobias said to my ear. "Make your move, bro."

"Whatever you say, Feathers. Let's go bro, let's make our move."

"Make our move?" He asked while we walked toward Brittany and her redheaded friend, separating from the group.

"Yeah, that means I do all the talking. Don't open your mouth."

We walked up to the girls who pretended to just notice us.

"Hi. I'm Terrence. You can call me Terry. This is my younger brother, Philip." I said.

"I'm Allison." said the Redhead. "This is Brittany."

"Hi." said Brittany.

"Hi." I said.

"Hello!" Blue said rather loudly.

"I haven't seen you around school, where are you boys from?" Allison asked.

"We're from England, bay-bee!" Aximili blurted, imitating Austin Powers again.

I elbowed him. "I told you not to talk." I turned back toward the girls. "My brother is a little silly, but we are actually not from this country. We're from Canada."

"We're Canadese!" 

"Oh God."

"Wait a minute!" Brittany chimed in. "You're from Canada. And you are brothers named Terrence and Philip!"

I had not even noticed. "Oh . . .dear . . .God!" I said as I realized.

"Uncle Fu–!" Aximili started to sing, until I clamped his mouth shut.

"What is wrong with your brother?" Allison asked.

"I haven't a clue!"

"She wants my bod-dee! Bod. Dee! Bod. Dee!" Aximili keeped blurting. 

"Aximili." I whispered. "What's going on?"

"LOOK!" Aximili shouted. A stalk eye popped out of his head.

"Ohmygod!!!!" Allison shouted in disgust.

"That is sooooo gross!" Brittany said as she and Allison left us.

I shoved Aximili under a table.

"Blue!! What the hell are you doing?"

"I was keeping watch."

"You're losing your morph. Stay in morph!"

"She wants my bod-deeeeeeeeee!"

"Aximili, shut up!" 

That may have been a bad choice of words. Ax's mouth started to disappear like that scene in _The Matrix_, except blue.

"Um, Blue?" I said. "This is the exact opposite of our goal."

Despite my effective help, Aximili continued to demorph just about as fast I do. Something was wrong. 

"Great, one more defect to the morphing technology." I grumbled. Whatever was causing Aximili's morph to go crazy was probably something new and different. I suspected it had something to do with his head, he'd been acting weird all night.

Well, weirder than usual. Although, it is Halloween.

Aximili was back in Andalite form and we was starting to freak out from hiding under the table. 

"Aximili? We need to morph. Morph spider. I'll carry you."

I don't want to morph a spider. Last time I morphed a spider, Marco bit me. Meanie-head.

"Meanie-head? What is wrong with you? Ok, look, I'll morph become a spider with you, just like Spider-man."

Spider-man?

I demorphed and began to morph wolf spider. Aximili started to morph too. A mixture of compound eyes and simple eyes, blurred the vision around me. I completed my morph and squashed the spider's instincts for food. I suddenly got a feeling of impending doom.

Whoa! Spidey-sense is going crazy. You sense it too, Aximili? I turned around to see Aximili.

Aximili had not morphed a spider. Aximili was something reptilian in nature. Like a lizard except with an arrow-head shape crest on his head and six legs. He was no bigger than a rat, but to me, he was as big as a house.

What the hell?

Spider-man vs. the Lizard! Roar! Aximili shouted with all the restraint of a six-year-old.

Oh God, no.

And with that, Aximili began to chase me, which is as stupid as it sounds.

Why'd I let him read that comic? Why'd I let him read that comic? Marco! Tobias! Cassie! A little help, please!

David? Tobias asked in thought-speech. Since he's in morph, he can use thought-speech. What's going on?

Um, long story short, Aximili's trying to eat me.

What?

He's some alien lizard with a six legs, probably from his home planet. Apparently, it's not only Andalites from that planet that like Terra Firman Cuisine.

I raced up a table leg, but Aximili chased me. 

I'll get you, Spider-man!

Aximili, you're extremely confused!

I ran up a table leg, but Aximili followed suit. I couldn't shake him.

I'm on a table! I shouted.

I felt a hand pick me up and carry me.

David, Jake's got Aximili, Tobias told me, but I think this teacher named Mr. Tidwell saw 'the six-legged lizard', and he was standing near Chapman. We're in the bathroom now, crawl in the stall in front of you and demoph. Marco's getting your clothes.

I started to demoph. The first thing I noticed was that my human hearing returned.

"Tobias, I didn't find any clothes under any tables, and I'm now officially the school perv. Thanks." Marco grumbled.

I walked out of the stall as soon as I finished demorphing. 

"Did you morph with all your clothes on?" Tobias asked me.

I looked down, dumbly, and noticed that I was still wearing my clothes.

"How'd you do that?" Marco asked.

"Uhhhhhh . . . . ." I said.

"Nevermind." Tobias snapped. "Let's go help Aximili."

I morphed Terry Stevens and left the school to find Jake holding a squirming six-legged lizard.

"Is that . . . ?" Tobias asked.

"Yes." Jake said trying to keep Aximili from crawling down his back. With human eyes, I noticed that Aximili was a blue lizard with silver streaks.

"Where's Cassie and Rachel?" I asked.

"Mr. Tidwell grabbed Cassie to talk to her. Rachel's inside waiting for her."

"So, um, what's with the six-legged lizard?" Marco asked.

"Apparently, this is a Dralei Lizard from the Andalite Home world. One of the animals Ax acquired before he came to Earth." Jake explained. "And since it eats insects on the Andalite home world, it is ideal for catching the Dreaded Spider-man."

"That's pretty funny." Marco said. "He's delirious."

"I wonder what other morphs he has from his home world." I said.

Rachel and Cassie returned from the school. Cassie looked worried. Not a big surprise. Rachel looked pissy. Even less of a surprise.

"Jake, Tidwell's a controller and he knows about us, but Cassie seems to think that's all right."

"He's with the Yeerk Peace Movement."

"Yeah, that's when they say 'please' before they shove their slimy bodies into your ear and taking control of your brain." Marco said sarcastically. "What are you crazy?"

"Could this be the Yeerk Rebellion that Sub-Visser five hundred nine was talking about? She mentioned Aftran." I said, trying to remember her as Sub-Visser five hundred nine and not as Stephanie Gimble, my former beloved.

__

"We are a generation of men raised by women." Tyler Durdin said. "I'm starting to wonder whether another woman is really the answer."

"Maybe." Cassie said.

"Ewww." Jake said.

"What?"

Jake held up an alien lizard with a foaming mouth. "He threw up on me."

I'm delirious!

We got Aximili home, and Cassie coached him through his demorph.

After living a scene that was like a combination of _ER_ and _Star Trek_, we established two things:

1) Aximili, our Andalite friend, had what was called Yamphut Syndrome. Caused by what I assume to be a virus, Yamphut syndrome causes his Tria gland to inflame and in time, burst. If his Tria gland bursts, which will happen when his body temperature goes back down to normal (91.3 degrees) all the diseased organisms that have been collecting in that gland will spread to his body and most likely kill him. This is easily prevented by removing the Tria gland which is in his head.

2) Aftran, a Yeerk, and pool sister to two controllers in Peach Haven (one of which being Stephanie) is about to be interrogated by Visser Three. Visser Three's torture will eventually get Aftran to tell him about us. Everything about us. Except any part about me since she never met me, but that won't really matter, because once Visser Three knows about the others, it'll be a chess game to the rest of us. Meaning we had to save a Yeerk from the Yeerk Pool.

Marco left to get Erek, and the rest of were left to tackle our two problems.

"So let me get this straight." I said. "We have to save an Andalite _and_ a Yeerk. Strangeness."

"We need a way into the Yeerk Pool." Rachel said. "They've probably figured out how we got in the last time. We need a new way in if we don't want to get ambushed."

"I've never been to the Yeerk Pool." I said. "I shouldn't ask what it's like, should I?"

"Smart boy." Rachel said.

"Maybe if we went over all we know about the Yeerk Pool's security system." Cassie suggested. "We know there's the Gleet BioFilter and –"

Hunter-killer robots. Tobias added.

"It was never exactly easy, but it's harder now."

"There has to be a way." Rachel said.

"Maybe we can dig our way." I said.

"Tried it." Rachel said. 

"Oh yeah, the oatmeal thing."

Here comes Marco and Erek. Tobias announced.

"This is a change." Erek said. "I'm usually the one giving you guys some bad news."

"You want bad news? Ax is no better, and we can't figure out how to get into the Yeerk Pool." Rachel said.

"Do you know anything about Andalite Physiology?" Cassie asked.

"Nothing." Erek said.

"Are any of your people surgeons?"

"The guy who plays my fatehr? He was a doctor back in fifteenth-century France. He knows nothing useful, trust me."

"Erek, does the Yeerk Pool have toilets?"

And from that Erek and Marco continued to hatch a plan to enter the Yeerk Pool through the water system. Tobias chose eel morphs as the form for the job. Gross disgusting sea-worm.

An hour later the six humans (or former humans) were floating around the inside of the California Water Tower.

We would follow Erek's intructions and end up directly into the Yeerk Pool. Appartently, the Yeerk Pool is mostly water. 

"I'm gonna end up flushed. There's going to be be flushing involved." Marco grumbled.

"Let's get this over with!" I shouted. "Let's grab the Yeerk and find something that can cure Aximili and get back before he reaches crisis."

We focused on becoming eels. I remember the way my hand went rubbery when I acquired it. I remember the thin body and fish heads. The morph was not very complicated and I finished it without problems.

__

Movement! Food!

Apparently, movement = food.

Chomp! Ow! Tobias shouted.

Sorry.

Chomp! Ow! David! Cassie yelled.

Sorry.

Chomp! Ow! God Damnit, David! Rachel yelled at me.

Hey, I'm trying.

The six of us, fully eel, swam down thirty feet of pipe before getting sucked up by the current. Navigating the pipes were not easy, especially when Jake forgot the way. 

I didn't forget so I led the way into the Yeerk Pool.

Go me.

Ok, this should the Yeerk Pool soon. I said.

Maybe we should stop and ask for directions. Rachel said.

I'm not pulling over, we're not lost.

Ha-ha, pulling over. Jake laughed.

Yes, very funny, Fearless Leader. You know you're supposed to be leading this paaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Whoaaaaaaaaaaa! cried Marco.

Cowabunga! Tobias yelled.

What are you, a Ninja Turtle? I shouted.

It wasn't long until the six of us found ourselves into a body of water filled with other occupants.

Oh my God, we are _in_ the Yeerk Pool. Cassie said.

What do we do Jake? Rachel asked.

Um . . . I don't know. Demorph? Jake said.

Jake, what the hell's wrong with you? I shouted.

He's sick. Cassie said.

Sick? Marco repeated.

Oh no. Tobias said.

Guys. I said. I think I see Aftran. I mean, she looks every other fucking yeerk, but I think I see her.

How can you tell? Marco asked.

This Yeerk's in a cage.

Bingo. Tobias said.

We have to get Jake out of here. He's sick. Cassie said.

If we don't get Aftran out of here, he'll be more than sick; he'll be dead! Marco said.

What about Aximili? I asked.

David. Tobias said very authoratative. Demorph and grab Aftran. Morph into something dangerous with hands if you need to. Cassie, demorph and morph something with hands. Then, grab Jake and Rachel. I'm demorphing too. Marco, stay close to me.

I demorphed and covered my ears. I then morphed to Dayang. They were non-investable and had hands and other appendages. I grabbed Aftran's cage with my tentacles. I popped out of the water with surprising agility, only to be greeted with a punch in the snout from a Hork-Bajir. 

My sliding upper body absorbed most of the impact, but I still dropped the cage back into the pool. It was then I realized that Dayangs were not ideal for combat. The Hork Bajir controller had me pinned to the ground, and none of my arms or tentacles were strong enough to pull him off. I looked across the pool and saw a chimpanzee carring two eels and a Hork-Bajir carring one crawl out of the pool. A contingent Hork-Bajir warriors were after them.

Demorphing would have been suicidal, so I did something only stupid in concept.

Trick or Treat! I shouted as I poked out the eyes of the Hork-Bajir with two of my tentacles. Very _Three Stooges_. I hate _Three Stooges_.

I pushed the controller into the pool. I demorphed than remorphed into Ursa Wulvef. With Hork-Bajir eyes and ears I took in the hell that was around me. Screaming men, women, and children. Humans and Hork-Bajir. Involuntary slaves. It was horrible. It was hell. It made me seriously sick to my stomach.

I fought the few Hork-Bajir and Taxxon controllers who were foolish enough to get in my way as I ran to join my friends. Several Guards surround the pool itself barring me from making another grab for Aftran.

Tobias! I dropped Aftran into the pool. I can't go back. The guards won't let me.

Fall back! We're reconvening in the bathroom. It's Uni-sex apparently. Tobias said.

I made my way into the bathroom where a Hork-Bajir Tobias was gaurding the door. We then procedded to rip up the urinal dividers and use them to barricade the door. Cassie was herself and she was dropping the eels into the toilet. 

"We need to get out of here." Tobias said in Hork-Bajir speech. "Let's all remorph to eels and get out of here. We'll come back for Aftran after Ax reaches crisis. The Visser won't interrogate her for another week."

FIND THEM! said a familiar voice.

"Sounds like he's here now." I said in Hork-Bajir speech.

"Someone has to flush us out." Cassie said.

"I'll do it." I said.

"David, don't be suicidal. If they infest you, we're all screwed anyway." Tobias said.

"I morph at light-speed, Feathers. I'll flush you out and then speed-morph to eel and land in the can before it finishes flushing. I'll be flushed along with you." 

Tobias's hork-bajir face pursed with thought. "Ok."

Tobias demorphed just as Cassie finished her morph to Eel. I put her in the toilet.

Be careful David.

Tobias finished his morph to eel as I demorphed. I put him in the toilet and flushed. 

"Bon voyage." I said. I began to morph. First were my hands. They became rubbery and fin-like.

But they became human. Rubbery and finlike. Human. Finlike. Human.

The toilet finished flushing. All my friends were gone.

"Uh oh." I said.

Hork-Bajir warriors blasted through the barricade and siezed me they brought me before Visser Three.

Well, looks like I took my break at the right time. Time to witness the capture of the Morph-human. The Freak.

"Look whose's talking, Abomination!" I said.

I quickly found a blade to my throat. I grow tired of your insolence. Humans. Insolent until the end. Well, your kind will learn to hold thier traitorous tongues!

"Humans are masters of manipulation, my liege. Psychological or otherwise." said a familiar voice. "You are allowing yourself to be driven by their subtle machinations."

The figure of Traci Lee came into view.

The Visser removed his blade from my throat. "Trieshan, what are you doing?"

"Not Trieshan, Sub-Visser One."

Sub-Visser? What are you doing in that body? Get back in your Hork-Bajir host at once. You're supposed to be watching my pool and making sure that the bandits don't enter. Which they have!

"My warriors have driven them off and have even captured one. The human. How quaint."

They were gonna infest me! I felt like throwing up.

Wait. I _was_ gonna throw up!

"BLEEEEECH!" I spewed.

All over the Visser.

"Oh God."

Sub-Visser One tried to diffuse the situation. "Visser, they are expecting you back on the Blade Ship. I will take care of the Morph-Human. He'll be one of us by the time you get back to interrogate Aftran. Who knows, it may not even be necessary."

The Visser, whose tail had been twitching to remove my head, walked away. Fine! Give him to Efflit. He is one of my more cruel lieutenants. The Visser said as he walked away.

"Efflit. Bah! I will take this human for myself!" Sub-Visser One said as the Visser walked out of earshot.

"But, Sub-Visser," said one of her Hork-Bajir warriors, "the Visser wants you to return to your Hork-Bajir hosts."

"This host is obviously ill. He needs to be quarantined until he is well before he is infested." said one of her human lackeys.

"May I remind you, Sub-Visser, that you are almost at the end of your feeding cycle."

"It will not take long." said the Sub-Visser One. "I will learn the morph-human's secrets and make him my host. He will be mine."

**************************************************************************************

You ain't seen nothing yet. 

Sick David (physically and otherwise) plus screwed-up morphing plus over-ambitious yeerk equals trouble.


	31. Psyche

This chapter is a little strange.

  
  


"One Least Likely" turned one-year-old last month. Happy Belated Birthday!!!

  
  


************************************************************************************

**_?????:??_**

  
  
  
  


I didn't know where I was. I didn't know who I was. When, where . . . these issues weren't important to me.

  
  


I walked, which also felt foreign to me, toward what appeared to be a small chamber. I felt infinity above me, but I did not look up. Not important. Everything that was important was right in front of me.

  
  


But it wasn't important to me.

  
  


I walked into a room. I saw a chubby, reddish man sculpting. Not really a man, a boy. An old boy. He was sculpting something, looked humanoid.

  
  


I knew the boy's name. It was David Hunting. He is a human.

  
  


Why this detail was important me is unknown. The boy is David Hunting.

  
  


So who was I?

  
  


I went up to the boy. "What are you doing?"

  
  


"She's gonna cause pain for me." Was all he said.

  
  


"Who?"

  
  


"Her." The boy said pointing to the statue. I recognized the girl. Her name was Melissa Chapman, also human.

  
  


"It's gonna end up badly. She's tied to the people who break me."

  
  


"Break you?"

  
  


"She used to be the only one for me." The boy said pointing to a statue of excruciating detail but covered in dust. The name was Stephanie Gimble.

  
  


"She was the only one. Even as I made this, she was the only one." The 'this' the boy spoke of was a third statue in the room, unfinished, but clean. The name was Cassie Verenda.

  
  


"She's not one of them." The boy said pointing to Cassie. "She is. She did this to me." The Boy said pointing to Stephanie. He turned around and I saw that half his face was horribly scarred. Long lines wracked his face, arms, chest . . . He was scarred. It looked like he was . . . . broken.

  
  


Amongst the statues there was a face plate. It boasted a face and a pair of hands, but that's all it was. The face and hands were that of Taylor Jane Perkins. I knew this by ways unknown.

  
  


"She had soft hands." the red, chubby and scarred boy named David said about the face plate. "I'll always have a place for her, but I make this now." He said returning to his statue of Melissa. "She'll break me too in the end. I know this."

  
  


"You're David's heart." I realized.

  
  


The boy, David's heart turned around and faced me. "Who are you? You don't belong here!" With that David's Heart turned into a being of black stone. "YOU DON'T BELONG HERE!!!!!!!"

  
  


David's Heart grabbed me and threw me violently into the ceiling where I ripped threw it like paper. I floated toward the infinity above me. I didn't want to go into the infinity, but I did, against my will. I landed into the infinity and was swallowed.

  
  
  
  


I opened my eyes. I was on the floor. I got up and dusted my dress off. 

  
  


_What? Dress?_ I wasn't supposed to be in a dress. I was a human. I was Traci Lee, but that's not right, I'm usually a Hork-Ba--

  
  


I remembered who I was. I am Calvca Two-Nine-Three and I hold the rank Sub-Visser One. The highest of the low.

  
  


David Hunting. I'm supposed to be in his body. What am I doing in Traci Lee's body? Where am I?

  
  


I looked around. I was in a castle of some sort. The walls were black, much like the black of that Stone David.

  
  


David's Heart. What did I mean by that? Where was I before? Did I just dream that up?

  
  


What was I doing in this castle? Wasn't I just in the Yeerk Pool?

  
  


You ask too many questions.

  
  


"Who's there?"

  
  


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. She's the intruder, and she asks who _I_ am. That's rich.

  
  


"Intruder? I don't even know where I am!" I shouted. "And I'm a he."

  
  


You're an _IT_! Yeerks don't have genders.

  
  


He's right, of course, but we yeerks most often become so wrapped up in the gender-identity of a gender-specific creature, we 'become' said gender.

  
  


I have been a male hork-bajir for so long, I had taken offence to being called a she.

  
  


"Is that you David?"

  
  


Debatable.

  
  


"I have no time for rhetoric."

  
  


YOU HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS I WANT. David roared. It was him. I was sure of if. No, you're right. You don't have time.

  
  


"Where are you?"

  
  


Where am I not?

  
  


"Stop that. I don't know how I got out of your body, or where it is you've taken me, but I know all your secrets, David the Animorph. Your leader Jake. Rachel, Marco, your beloved Cassie. Tobias, Aximili, even your precious Ayla! I know about them all. The Androids. The Dayangs. I will break free from you and tell the Empire what I have found. I will be a Visser at last!!!"

  
  


You seem to have absorbed a lot. Especially for someone who doesn't remember accessing any of my memories.

  
  


He's right. I don't remember accessing any of his memories.

  
  


Of course I'm right, you slug.

  
  


What? Can he read my thoughts?

  
  


Duh.

  
  


"How are you doing that?"

  
  


Asked the master to his pupil.

  
  


"Shut-up and FACE ME!!!!"

  
  


I felt a punch at my face. I fell to the ground tearing my dress. I looked up and I saw David. He wore green karate pants and a black belt.

  
  


He was not a black belt, but he wore one just the same.

  
  


"Fight me, Yeerk. Prove your impotence and inferiority."

  
  


I charged at him. I was taller at seven foot, but he seemed to possess a supernatural speed that I could not match. I charged my blades at him and he blocked me blow for blow. 

  
  


Wait a minute. Blades?

  
  


I looked at my body. I was Nomwa Teff, my Hork-Bajir host. How did I go from one host body to another? Was I dreaming?

  
  


"_You're_ not dreaming. I can assure you that."

  
  


"Why is my body changing?" I said in Nomwa's gruff (even by Hork-bajir standards) Hork-bajir voice. "WHERE AM I?"

  
  


"When did you meet me, Calvca?"

  
  


"Answer my question, human."

  
  


"When did you meet me, Calvca?"

  
  


I indulged him. "When my soldiers carried your sickly, weak body to me and Visser Three."

  
  


"Eeeeeh! Wrong! Try again, annelid from hell."

  
  


The answer came to me all of the sudden. "The dance a few hours ago. YOU WERE TERRY STEVENS! The 'yeerk'. There is no Esplin One-zero-one-two is there?"

  
  


"There might be. But he ain't me."

  
  


"You deceitful, evil creature."

  
  


"_I'm_ evil. That's rich."

  
  


"You are. Even if you don't want to admit it."

  
  


I quickly found a malformed claw at my throat. David grew some dangerous looking appendage and held me down with it. His entire appearance changed. He grew to be two feet taller than me. He had spikes growing out of his shoulders. His teeth were razor-sharp. His skin was green. 

  
  


This was not a morph. This was David, in a way I didn't understand.

  
  


"You're the evil one. You're the slavemaker. You take away a person's free-will. Making them sub-living. Inferior."

  
  


"You're insane."

  
  


"No," David said letting me go and shifting back. "Only delirious. I'm sick, remember?" David replied with devilish, mischievous laughter.

  
  


"You can find freedom from your insanity in me. With us. The Yeerks."

  
  


"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Are you trying to seduce me to the Dark side?"

  
  


I suddenly heard the breathing sounds of Darth Vader.

  
  


"You are in no position to negotiate, Calvca." David continued.

  
  


"How did you know my name was Calvca?"

  
  


"How did you know I was Terry Stevens?"

  
  


"How did . . ." I didn't have an answer.

  
  


"In fact, I'm betting you know everything about me. As I know everything about you."

  
  


"That's impossible." I said.

  
  


Two chairs sidled up to us. David sat down. He was shaven bald, wearing a faux fur coat and a tank top that said 'Brown Sugar'.

  
  


The same thing Brad Pitt wore at the end of _Fight Club_. 

  
  


How did I know that?

  
  


I sat my Hork-Bajir body down in the chair. David sat in his chair. We faced each other eye-to-eye.

  
  


"Come on." David said. "Tell me something about me."

  
  


"You were born in Detroit, Michigan. April 7, 1984. You were premature, but as large as an average baby carried to term."

  
  


"You were born in a pool on the Korla-Mak homeworld. You scored so well in your first infestation test you were given a Mak instead of a Gedd as your first host."

  
  


"You've lived in over twenty cities in your life."

  
  


"You've been assigned three different hosts: the Mak, and two different Hork-Bajir, but you tried them all, secretly. Nahara, S-s-s-stram, Taxxon, even a Gedd. You even got a chance to try out one of the old Ongachic bodies. And one of those Leeran bodies the Empire had for a while. Oh, and of course, human you've tried."

  
  


"You lusted over your leader's girlfriend."

  
  


"You have been stealing credit from your underlings findings in order to get promoted."

  
  


"You hate your father."

  
  


"You hate the Empire and once tried to assassinate a councilor."

  
  


HOW DID HE KNOW THAT? I had to match him. I had to destroy him with his own memories. As he used mine against me. How did he have access to my memories? How did I have access to his? "You once felt up a girl after she passed out at a party."

  
  


"You killed your partner, Yildar Two-six-five, in his sleep so you would get full credit for killing that Gervasid rebel."

  
  


He found a great shame of mine, but I found a great shame of his. "You molested your cousin, Kelly, when she was nine and you were ten. You blocked it from your memory; you don't even remember that."

  
  


David didn't flinch. "You killed a subordinate and took his male S-s-s-stram host so you could rape your superior in her female S-s-s-stram host." David matched. Well played. "You remember _that_ everyday of your life." My reaction was not as well played. 

  
  


I grabbed his throat with my hork-bajir hands.

  
  


"HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS ABOUT ME?!!!!"

  
  


"How do you know all that about me?"

  
  


"HOW THE DAPSEN SHOULD I KNOW?????" I let go of his throat.

  
  


"You see. This is how it should be. Equals. Symbiotes. Human and Yeerk. Parasite and Host."

  
  


"What the hell are you talking about?"

  
  


"This is how it should be." He repeated. Word for word. Tone for tone. It was like a recording. "Equals. Symbiotes. Human and Yeerk. Parasite and Host."

  
  


"That isn't your decision to make."

  
  


"Yes it is. You're my host."

  
  


"You're **_MY_** host!"

  
  


"Am I?"

  
  


"Wait. What am I talking about? We're in two separate bodies."

  
  


"Are we?" David said. As his body melted into what looked like green brain matter and integrated into the floor.

  
  


"What the Dapsen is going on here?"

  
  


Think back Yeerk. David's thought-speech rang in my head. What happened after your soldiers carried my sickly, . . . weak . . . body to you and Visser Three?

  
  


"I brought you to the sick bay and left Traci Lee to infest you. You were babbling and carrying on about something. Gibberish. Nonsense words. I entered you in your ear. That's when I started to feel groggy . . ." David's memory reinterpreted this particular happenstance. "YOU ACQUIRED ME!!!!!"

  
  


That's right, slimeball. Although the damndest thing happens when I acquire morphs.

  
  


David's memory once again supplied the answer. "You automatically morph a part of the creature. The part that does the acquiring."

  
  


In this case my ear. However, my flu seems to be affecting my morphing as it did to my roomie . . .so . . 

  
  


"More of your parts morphed Yeerk. Specifically your . ."

  
  


**_Brain._**

  
  


The realization hit me like a Dracon Beam.

  
  


And just imagine the paradox. David continued. A Yeerk brain tapping a Yeerk brain. Which would do the tapping? Which would do the Controlling?

  
  


"I was entering your brain. I was the Yeerk. You were the brain, even if it was an oversized Yeerk Brain. I did the entering."

  
  


That you did. But there's one problem. A giant stone-like face of David appeared from the walls of the castle. "NOW YOU'RE STUCK!!!!"

  
  


"Stuck?"

  
  


The result of a Yeerk Brain attempting to tap a Yeerk Brain was a contest of wills. I don't know who 'won' exactly, but the end result was your mind getting sucked into mine. And since I demorphed it also got . . . how you say . . . . trapped.

  
  


"Trapped?"

  
  


That's right, Brainslug. Welcome to Cabesa de David. Stick around for a while. But not for too long.

  
  


"What the hell are you talking about?"

  
  


Think about it! The quick-change bodies. The mutual telepathy . . . Your mind is trapped in my mind. I'm about to send you back where you came from.

  
  


It was a lot to absorb. All this time I've been a ghost in some else's mind, thinking it was a tangible place. I've been in other people's minds, but to be trapped in one and have it manifested into something like this . . . . .David is insane.

  
  


"If you send me back to my old body, I become the Yeerk, and you the brain. Everything will be just as it should be, with me controlling you."

  
  


Yes, you would 'control' me for a few hours.

  
  


"Few hours? I'm gonna be your yeerk for life, human. Why have a hork-bajir when I can change into a Hork-Bajir. Or an Andalite. Or a S-s-s-s-stram. Or anything I want. I'm your master for life."

  
  


For the rest of your life, yes, a few hours.

  
  


"What?"

  
  


Did you forget you were at the end of your feeding cycle? David mused. Oops. I guarentee you: when I do send you back, it'll be well into the fugue. Ha Ha Ha Ha.

  
  


"What if you don't send me back?"

  
  


Then you'll be a ghost in my head forever, much like your hosts were to you.

  
  


"What if I send you back in my place?"

  
  


Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. As if.

  
  


"I have time. I can break you in a day."

  
  


You don't have a day. You have three hours. Which won't last very long, I promise.

  
  


An imaginary clock appeared. It showed three hours counting down. Counting down fast.

  
  


"It's counting down too fast."

  
  


Well, I had to adjust. Our brains seem to work much slower when in a feverish coma. Ha Ha Ha. David laughed manically again.

  
  


"I'll break you, David James Hunting!"

  
  


Give it up. I have the home team advantage. You have no hope. This battle was over before it started.

  
  


"We could be symbiotes. We could secure Terra Firma. Destroy the Yeerk Empire. Defeat the Animorphs and the Andalites."

  
  


You and I will never be symbiotes, Calvca. Not the way I see it.

  
  


That's when I saw it. David's vision. David's almost elegant solution. It shook me up.

  
  


"It'll never work."

  
  


You lie.

  
  


He was right. I was lying. It would work. It might work. Too many yeerks are tired of the war. Thirty straight years will do that.

  
  


But he'd be destroying everything the Contemporary Yeerk Society stood for.

  
  


"You can't expect everything to go your way. Something will go wrong."

  
  


We'll see.

  
  


"You can't do that. You'll never find someone who can build them."

  
  


I know of a group who could. But they're extinct. Or are they?

  
  


No. One was sighted three months ago.

  
  


A-ha.

  
  


My Hork-Bajir body which was no body at all was filled with vigor.

  
  


"I won't let you do it. I won't let you carry your insane vision. And I won't go back to my dying body! I can't go back there!"

  
  


Oh, but you can. "Oh, but you will."

  
  


I turned around and saw the very essence of David's vision face me. His Ultimate creation. ULTimate. 

  
  


"Look above you." the mouth of David's vision said with David's voice.

  
  


I looked up and the 'sky' turned the grayish-yellow-green of yeerk flesh.

  
  


"You go up there, it's back to your Yeerk body. Certain Death. I go up there. Then you're stuck in my body forever, and I die in your stead."

  
  


"Sounds good."

  
  


"This is your first night at Fight Club, so . . . . . You have to fight."

  
  


Fight we did. The struggle was long. Epic. A battle of wits in mortal combat. I worried that my body may die without either of us in there.

  
  


"This fight is fruitless, David Hunting. You and I are the same. Megalomaniacal. Ambitious. We are equals. One of us will never prove to be the stronger."

  
  


"You are wrong, Calvca Two-Nine-Three. If there is one thing I have learned from Jake Barenson, Rachel Barenson, Marco McCabe, Tobias Van Gore, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill, and especially Cassie Verenda, it is this: when you fight for someone else, you are stronger. You fight for yourself, thus you only as strong as yourself. I fight for the UNIVERSE. Thus I am as strong as myself **TO AN INFINITE POWER**!!!!!" With that he lifted me high in the 'air' toward the yeerk flesh sky that symbolized the road back to a terminal body.

  
  


"You will never cross that line, David Hunting."

  
  


With his last words, my final fate came of no surprise, and I came to accept it with tranquility and peace.

  
  


**_THERE IS . . . NO . . . .LINE._**

  
  
  
  


Kandrona Starvation is a horrible ordeal. David had been kind enough to send me back during my final minutes of life. But in these final moments it is hard to think of David as kind when these are his last words to you:

  
  


Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

  
  


I do not take it personal. After all he is delirious. And sick. And I don't just mean from the flu. 

  
  


I wonder if-


	32. Waking from a Nightmare

  
  
  
  


**_?????:??_**

  
  
  
  


I woke up. Head hurt. Body tired. I was in a room. Not my bedroom. Wait I don't have a bedroom. I live in the woods.

  
  


I was in a bad place. The Pool. Yeerk Pool. There should be the Wild Things. Hork-Bajir. Where are they?

  
  


I wandered around till I found the pool. Oh look! A birdie. With a slug in its talons?

  
  


David? Is that you? Come on! It's me, Cassie! We need to get out of here.

  
  


Cassie? Looks like it's morphin time!

  
  


I morphed into a robin. A small red bird. I followed the big bird with the slug in its talons. We flew till we left the McDonalds.

  
  


I'm not sure how we ended up at the McDonalds, but we did. We flew out of there and made it back to Cassie's barn. Cassie and Erek got real worried about something. I didn't worry. I took a nap.

  
  
  
  


**_November 4, 19992:20 PM_**

  
  


Four days passed till we were all well enough to go outside. Apparently, all of us, save Cassie, got sick. Aximili was fine. Cassie saved him. Aftran was fine. Cassie saved her too. I was fine. Cassie . . . . well, you get the idea.

  
  


The last three days, I've been held inside a little shack. Tied up to a bed and being watched by Chee. This was to make sure I wasn't a controller. I didn't mind. I spent most of the time sleeping. I was that sick.

  
  


When I was well and confirmed Yeerk-free, I joined the others. We were on our way to the beach to say goodbye to Aftran. We saved her by giving her the morphing power and trapping her in a morph. Humpback Whale. A step up if you ask me.

  
  


So the five of us recovering sickies related stories of our infirmary adventures.

  
  


"My mom wouldn't let me eat solid food til today." Rachel complained. "And it's been four days since I got sick."

  
  


That's the worst thing that happened to you? Tobias challenged. I'm not even sure Mr. Verenda is a real vet. He tried to stick a pill up my--

  
  


"Yeah, well, my dad brought me baby aspirin! Like for a baby." Marco carped.

  
  


"I spent my first day being sick at the Yeerk Pool, okay?" I countered. "Then I spent the next three days chained to a bed, because you thought I had a Yeerk in my head, even though I didn't."

  
  


"I _did_ have a Yeerk in my head." Aximili countered back. "Did-duh. In my head. Head-duh."

  
  


Aximili was in his human morph, but I was normal me.

  
  


"I can't believe David was Yeerk-free. He was down there for a whole day." Jake said.

  
  


"I guess it was because I was sick. I mean, I did throw up all over Visser Three."

  
  


"You threw up over Visser Three?!" Rachel mused. "It's a wonder you're still alive."

  
  


"I don't remember, I think I slept most of the day. Although I keep having dreams about being controlled by a yeerk named Calvca."

  
  


"Flu dreams." Rachel said. "I dreamt my bear morph and elephant morph were fighting over who should be my battle morph next."

  
  


"That's just weird." Marco said.

  
  


"Weeeeirrrrrd-dah." Aximili commented.

  
  


We wished Aftran goodbye. The weirdest thing was hearing Aftran's true 'voice'. Whenever you hear a yeerk it is always in the voice of whomever it has taken. Even if its in your own mind, as Cassie and Jake have told me. Aftran's true voice sounded almost wordless. Melodic. Sad. Much like a whale's song. It was thought-speech, but it was her 'voice' nonetheless.

  
  


I went for a walk down the beach after saying goodbye to Aftran. I need some time alone. I resolved to do something drastic for Terra Firma. Step up the invasion. I also resolved to do it alone, but after this encounter, maybe alone was a bad idea. I definitely need allies. And a computer program named Ayla wasn't enough. I needed--

  
  


"It's you!" A voice said. 

  
  


I turned my head to see in the distance Melissa Chapman running toward me. The real me. The blond boy she met on the beach by the beached whale.

  
  


I ran behind a giant rock and morphed to Terry Stevens. When Melissa caught up to me, her face showed initial disappointment, then indifferent shock.

  
  


"Terry? What? I . . I thought you were someone else." She blathered. "I'm so confused."

  
  


I felt bad deceiving her. "You ok?"

  
  


"I'm fine."

  
  


"What brings you here to the beach?"

  
  


"Just walking." she said. No real answer. "I should go."

  
  


"Melissa." I said quickly, stopping her. I felt so stupid. I could face Visser Three, Scott Taggart, Sub-visser Five-zero-nine, and I can't say how I feel to a girl. Damn you, Stephanie. Damn you, Sub-visser Five-zero-nine. Fuck her. "Would it be okay if we . . . met someplace to . . .spend time . . . or whatever."

  
  


Melissa laughed at my proposition that was more awkward than a newborn deer taking its first steps when it's drunk and doing it on ice. "Okay. Um . . . . Friday night at the mall? If its okay with you I'd like to spend some time away from Manhattan Island."

  
  


I'm not sure what that meant. "Okay. Um . . . no problem."

  
  


"Oh, and ah . . .don't give me any silly nicknames."

  
  


"Not even Marla?"

  
  


"Marla?" Melissa said confused, but then it clicked. "_Fight Club_. I get it. Well, not unless I can call you . . . . What was the guy's name?"

  
  


"They never said. In the credits he's billed as the Narrator."

  
  


"Should I call you Tyler Durdin then?"

  
  


"How about not."

  
  


She hugged me then. We were the same, she and I. Kids who lacked love so we find it in each other. Orphans. She, the daughter of a Yeerk. She was the one least likely, but perhaps she's the one for me.

  
  


_"You can't expect everything to go your way. Something will go wrong."_

  
  


We'll see.

  
  


We'll see.

  
  


************************************************************************************

  
  


Sorry these chapters too so long. Mr. Quill has had a lot of s**t going on his life. Ok. Now I must pester my fans for something.

  
  


As part of her column, FFN author and columnist Rb interviews an FFN author. She picks her Author by requests. Please, e-mail Rb at Rbooks5678@aol.com, and ask/beg/grovel for her to interview your favourite FFN author: Cougar19. Or that other guy, what's his name? . . . . . oh yeah, Augustine Quill.

  
  


So e-mail Rb and ask her interview Augustine Quill, author of the Animorph section's longest-running and awesome fic, "One Least Likely".

  
  


And don't forget to read Rb's As the Pan Thawps, and keep your eye out for her interview with Augustine Quill.


	33. Threads of Time

**_June 6, 1944            2:40 PM_**

****

We were negotiating.  I was in a human morph, a early-thirtish African Male.  It was the largest human morph I had.  I doubted that a fifteen-year-old boy would have frightened them so.

Of course when you have a wolf and a Hork-Bajir as an entourage, I could look like a six-year-old girl in pigtails, and the Germans would have still taken me seriously.

The captain was en route.  We wanted to take Visser Four without incident, and the best way to do that was by having approved by the German Captain. 

But when the German Captain drove up, it wasn't him we saw.  It was his driver.

Adolf Hitler.

Wait.  Maybe I should go back.

**_November 13, 1999            9:04 AM_**

****

Life is always in balance.  When it seems like one part of your life goes slow another part picks up. My work with the animorphs averages less than two mission a month. It leaves me time to do other things.  So I've been spending time with my new lady love, Melissa.   I care for her deeply.

Which is why I sometimes desire to strangle her.

"Terry?" Melissa asked me.  "When you're not with me or at the mall. Where are you?"

We were lying on her bed.  (Fully clothed; no hanky-panky) She was lying across my chest.  I believe it's called spooning.

"I thought we weren't gonna talk about that."

"No, you weren't gonna talk about it.   And every time I bring it up, you give some empty answer or excuse."

"Well, maybe I don't wanna talk about it."

"Why not?" Melissa said getting up.

"Because I don't see how it's any of your business."

"That's nice. That's real nice." she said, angrily.

  


"This is like the third time today you've asked me that same question. Why the sudden increase in frequency?"

"When I met you, I told you about my friend Rachel.  Why didn't you tell me you knew her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"At the dance, Rachel seemed to know you."

"Um, . . . well, . . . I met Rachel a few months ago.  She was helping out with The Sharing back when I lived in this shelter in Newark."  Ha.  I am smooth.

"Wow, that almost sounded like the truth."  Melissa spat sarcastically.

Nice going, Smoothie.  "Melissa."

"Look, I'm not trying to be psycho about this, but it's starting to worry me."

"Ok, look, if you're worried that I dated her, believe me, I didn't.  I could find more suitable girlfriends at Bellvue."

"Where were you Thursday at around noon?"

I had one mission in the last two weeks, and it was in fact on Thursday.  Ayla found out that the Yeerks were installing a second Kandrona for the NYC area yeerks in one of the WTC towers.  I convinced the guys that we had to stop it, despite the fact that it was just an auxiliary. It was during the school day, so Jake only allowed himself and Rachel to ditch.  Less suspicious.  Marco and Cassie had to stay.   Needless to say, it got messy.  After the battle Jake and Rachel returned to school.

"I was in New York.  Why?"

"I told you how Rachel is different.  Well, sometimes I see her and she's like out of it.  On Thursday, I didn't see her at lunch.  Cassie said she and Jake had a family emergency, but she comes back, late seventh period and she out of it.  Calmy, twitching, its like she saw some get blown up in front of her.  I see you after school and you're the same way.  I get home later that evening and my father has scratch marks on his head.  What the hell is going on, Terry?!"

"Melissa, I . . . ."  Oh, Shit.  9:06.  I need to demorph.   I made a mad dash to the bathroom.

"No.  You're not going in there again.  I want to talk about this." Melissa said, grabbing me.

  


"Let me go, Melissa." I said curtly.

"Stop hiding in the bathroom!  You go in there like every . . . two hours or something."

9:07.  Two hours and one minute since morph time!  "Let. Me. Go!" I yelled. 

I pushed her.  Hard.  I pushed her so hard she fell.  She looked like I slapped her.  I now had two reasons to hide myself.  I closed the door and quickly demorphed.  No problem.  I re-morphed.

"Terry!!  Terry!!! Get out here."

I opened the door and she quickly began to usher me to her window.  "Out."

"Look, I'm sorry.  I didn't want to push you."

"Just get out.  I want you out of here now."

I climbed from her window to a low-slung branch of a tree in her yard.  "You don't understand, Melissa.  I never meant to hurt you."

"Make me understand, Terry."

I didn't have an answer to give her.

"That's what I thought." She said as she slammed the window shut.

I climbed down the tree and walked from the Chapmans' house.  

"FUCK!!!" I said as I took out my frustrations on the Chapman's mailbox.

_Can things get any-_

"Worse." I answered confidently.  "Things are getting worse!"

"Why do you say that, son?"  My father asked me.

"These fucking niggers man.  I swear to God.  They think they own the damn colony.  Do you know I heard today?  This sweet woman, Mom's age, lost all five of her boys in the Battle of San Paulo and not two hours afterwards she gets a call from the police saying that her only daughter was raped and killed.  And guess by who.  A Nigger."  

"What's your point?"

  


"The INE says that 78% of the white population of the Empire is in some way shape or form part of the war movement.  You know what the percentage is for our 'black brothers'?  10%.  Ten fucking percent.  What the hell is that?"

"There they are, sir." said the driver.

"Ok, Men." my father said.  "Let's move out."  We exited the truck, and instantly, the vagabonds ran.  Mostly niggers.  Some spics and chinks.  No white people.  Most of them went quietly.  Women and children.  Some fuckers gave us problems.  We took care of them. 

Then we heard gunfire.  They were shooting at us.

"Fucking Niggers!"  I shouted as I unloaded my machine gun, or Tommy guns as they're called.  Latest in weapons technology.  The gunfire stopped.  A nigger came forward on his hands and knees with his gun in his hand.  I came up to him.  

"Did you fire that gun at me?" I asked him as I pointed my gun at him. 

He just shook with fear. 

"Answer me!!!" I said as I grabbed his dirty shirt with my other hand and shook him roughly.

He just shook.

"What's the matter?  Can't talk?  Did you try to shoot me?" 

He finally nodded his head jerkily.  

I shout him through his throat.  "Try to talk now, jungle bunny."

"David!"  My father yelled.  "You are not authorized to kill people."

"The Triple S was gonna sentence him to death anyways.  I just saved the Imperial Government £200."

"That is not your call to make.  The Empire does not need you to save them money."

"If they had more money maybe they could hire a real Cleansing Squad."

"Sir!" said Witmore, another volunteer Cleanser, like me.  "This one says he knows you."

"No fucking nigger knows my Dad." 

"David, shut up." said my father.  He walked over to the man that Witmore brought.  The nigger said a string of words that I didn't understand.  Must be Swahili.  "Let him go."

  


"What the fuck?!"

"David, we kill many niggers a day.  One won't make a difference."

"One always makes a difference."  I said as I raised my gun. The nigger was fast and took out a small revolver and fired.  

TSWWW!  A strange sound.  A beam of light.  I dodged but my gun arm was singed. 

I looked at the nigger and the gun he was holding.  And it was weird looking.  

"What the fuck?" I said as I started to walk toward him with my gun raised again.  "Motherfu–"

Half of my fellow volunteer cleansers pulled out strange guns.  And leveled them at me.

"What the hell is going on?"

"We're going to have to take him Covar." the nigger said.  "Him and the rest of your unit."

"Yes, I know.  My host does not like this." My father said.

"You're with him."  I realized.

"Shut up, you ridiculous human.  You may be in great numbers and of moderate physical condition, but you're not worth Gedd shit!"

My father said that.  What?  What's a Gedd?

One of the Cleansers holding the weird guns looked at me.  Caldwell.  I hated that guy.  "Oh. You know, this is the first time, my host and I are in agreement.  We have both been looking forward to this for such a long time."

I dropped my gun and reached into my pockets.  I had stolen two grenades earlier.  I used them then on my fellow white man.  White men who were good.  White men who were loyal to the empire. 

But if they sided with a homeless nigger, than they can't be good, right?

My grenades wiped out all of them except for the Nigger and my father.  They began shooting the weird guns at me.  Hot light beams heated the air.  The Nigger missed me and hit my father.  Half his head was gone.  I picked up my gun and fired it at him.  I fired so many bullets, it tore his arm off.  The gun's magazine was used up of course. I walked over to that nigger.

  


I beat him to a bloody mess.  I beat him so badly that they wouldn't be able to recognize him.  He was dead of course.   Part from the shock of losing an arm.  The rest I did with the butt of the gun.  

I walked over to my father's body.  My whole unit was destroyed.  I did most of it.  I could see what was left of my father's brain.

It was covered in something yellow.

A Car marked SSS came around.  The Triple S.  Thank God.  I could explain everything.  The weird laser guns.  Everything.

A Triple S agent approached me.

"Sir.  There's a conspiracy here. My father and a bunch of others have some kind of sickness that makes them follow niggers.  It makes their brains yellow.  They all have these weird guns."

"Son, come along with me." said the agent.

"Agent, you should look at this."

"Son!  Come along with me." said the agent.  He held a weird gun.

"What the hell's going on?" I whimpered.

Suddenly, I was not in front of the Triple S.  I was in a barn.  With four other people.  A hawk and two aliens.

I knew these people.  They were my friends.

I was different too.  I was . . . . 

My God.

"Oh look.  Our friends Rachel and David are back." said the Drode.  "The Beast-Rat and Miss Potential herself.  I don't care what Crayak says, she's still my fav."  The Drode then did a rather obscene gesture.

The Drode, Crayak's slave, began to explain to us what had happened.  A human-controller, one who was once Visser Four, had found the Time Matrix and started fucking around with Human history.

And now we had to stop him.

  


We chased him through Agincourt.  Because I had seen Henry V, I was able to tell them what to do to keep history the same.  We saved Henry V.

But we failed at the Delaware River.  George Washington was killed.  And America never happened.

Oh. Yeah. And Jake was killed.

We were involved with a battle called Trafalgar, which we knew nothing about, but we failed there too.

That's when things started slipping.  Einstein wasn't where he was supposed to be in 1934. 

Which takes us to World War II.  Or perhaps even World War III for all we know.  What must be the British Empire versus the combined forces of France and Germany.

No Nazis.  That baffles me to no end.  And the most evil man ever to have existed.  The epitome of all that is wrong . . . and all that I became in another timeline . . . . was nothing more than a driver.

We found Visser Four.  And his host, John Berryman.  Crushed by an overturned truck.  He was gonna die.  The Yeerk was dead too.  I ripped him in two with my bare hands while Marco was trying to coax Rachel or Ax to do it.  Naturally I was third choice.  Psycho David.  The intellectual killer.

John was reciting Henry V.  

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he today that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er–"

"–so vile" I continued.

"This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap while any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day"

"I'm dying." John said when I finished.

"Mr . . . John . . . I . . ." Cassie tried to say.

"What is it?" John asked.  "Ask me your question."

  


"John. I'm so sorry.  But . . . John, do you know, did your parents ever tell you . . . How did they meet?  When and Where?"

John was confused, but then seemed to accept his fate.

What fate?  What . . .Holy shit.

"San Francisco.  1967.  My dad's name is John, too.  My Mom is Theresa.  Theresa Knowlton."

"You're not going to . . ." I began to say.

**_September 3, 1967            11:31 AM_**

We made our way to an apparently unaltered 1967 San Francisco.  Hippies.

"Visser Four changed history." Tobias said. He was in human morph. "Maybe for the worse, but maybe not.  Hitler was just a lowly nobody.  No Holocaust!  We want to change it back so there _was _one?"

"You saw the way our future was."  Cassie argued.  "We still had slavery.  We had no freedom.  The Drode said homeless people were rounded up and shot."

"He wasn't lying." I said.

"We can't let that happen."

"But we _can_ let the Holocaust happen?"  Rachel demanded.  "Tobias is right.  That future we saw that Future we were in, that's back when Visser Four had done all he did, but without us getting in his face.  That was the result _without_ our intervention.  Maybe in that timeline he did ten more things.  We don't know what the result is _with_ our intervention.  Maybe the future is better now.  Maybe us saving Henry, and even taking out that Hessian officer, I don't know!  Maybe . . ."

"We could use the Time Matrix, travel back to our own time, see what's happened.  See if things are good."  Tobias said.

"Does that not seem foolish now that we see how complex that history is?" Cassie wondered.

"We're already taking a gamble erasing an entire person from existence." I said.

"I'm just saying we go take a look." Tobias repeated.  "See how it all played out."

  


"Hey, history is never 'played out'" Marco countered passionately.  "We start fucking with the past, we fuck with the future.  Maybe we like the way things look to us back in our time, but maybe we've screwed something else up down the line."

"We do that everyday." Rachel said.  "Every time we do anything, or do nothing, we change the future.  Why is this different?  Look, let's just go see.  Maybe our time is great now.  I mean, maybe, right?"

I gorged myself on the maggot invested carcass of my fallen rival.  I had killed him in mortal combat over a dead mudskipper.  I won and I ate the mudskipper.  I have not eaten in days so now I will eat him.  Thus is the life of the rat.

 Wait . . . . wasn't I just in San Francisco?

I'm not a rat!

**"Oh but you are" **said the Drode.

**_"This is not as it should be.  You should be a rat.  I am concerned._**_" said the Ellimist_

We changed history.  John Berryman, Jr. never existed.  

I became the nothlit I was always meant to be.


	34. Battle with Fate

**__**

March 4,313th, 1999½37:89 PMQRSTμΆl§†

I don't remember the day. The week. The month. The year. Only humans know this. I'm a rat now.

No! I'm not a rat. I'm a human. 

I was a human. Now, I'm a nothlit.

No! I won't do this! I won't!!!!! I shouted.

Somehow. The nonexistence of John Berryman has resulted in my original fate of becoming a rat. But how?

I searched through memories. The memory of David the Animorph. The memory of David the Rat.

And then the shadow that was David the Cleanser. 

The date was November 13th, 1999

Stephanie! I realized. David the rat has no memory of Stephanie. And because of this, I had no feelings for Cassie. I walked out on Cassie when she tried to stop me. Jake confronted me at a Holiday Inn. I betrayed them. I became a nothlit.

No. I do not accept this. I will leave this island and change my fate!

It took days. But at last, curious sailors visited me.

"I swear! There's a ghost and it says he's on this rock." said a, shall we say, stupid individual.

"I heard it too." said Stupid Individual #2.

"Look, I never heard nothing." said Skeptical Stupid Individual.

While the three idiots ghost-hunted, I sneaked on board their little powerboat.

You're plan won't work, David.

I spun around. A thought-speech voice. Rachel?

A cat came into view from underneath a tarp. I'm sorry I have to do this, but I won't let you cause us harm.

I'm not here to hurt you. I said.

Yeah right.

She pounced. I ran. I guess she heard my ghost-like ramblings. Or maybe she just heard about it. 

She's not your ally anymore; she's your enemy. 

It doesn't matter if she dies now; you're going to change things once you get the Time Matrix.

Stop talking to yourself, and figure out a way to get rid of the cat, ok?

There's a rabid cat on board!

"What in the Sam Hill???" 

"Hey look, it's chasing a rat!"

"Get em both out of here."

One of the idiots grabbed Rachel and tossed her overboard. They couldn't catch me.

Tssseeeeerrrrr!

Duh, David. Like Rachel would be here alone. I didn't see him, but I felt his talons

Feathers. Please don't do this.

You should have stayed on your island, David. said a thought-speech voice. Not Tobias.

Cassie?

We're going to have to stop you for good this time, do you know what that means?

Cassie, listen to me, I'm not the David you know.

Don't talk David, please.

I know about the Time Matrix!

What? Cassie said as she almost stopped flapping.

The Iskoort Home World. Elfangor is Tobias's father. Erek King. Jara and Toby Hamee. Ellimist. Crayak. I know about all of them.

How. . . .

I was there. In another timeline.

What? No. Crayak told you.

When we chased Visser Four through history. When we made it so John Berryman Jr. never existed, something changed. I became this.

No, we went through history without you. This is a trick from Crayak.

Crayak _helped_ us defeat Visser Four. He didn't want a 'baboon' using the Time Matrix. Why would he want me to use it.

Cassie wavered. This is a trick. And even if it isn't, I can't let you use the Time Matrix.

I saw Tobias circling three hundred yards in the distance. I saw a wolf and two snakes waiting below.

Cassie, you can listen to your head, or you can listen to your heart. If I know you, and I do, you'll listen to your heart. Am I the David that walked out on you? Am I the David that . . . oh my God. I called you 'Jake's bitch.' I actually called you 'Jake's Bitch'.

Cassie continued to fly toward the others.

Listen to me, Cassie. I didn't walk out on you. You made me stay. I morphed your gray mare. We morphed and raced. You never told me you liked to ride horses, I know. But I morphed the same gray mare you morphed. The one that was your first morph. Ever since then you've been important to me. Cassie, I know you can feel the sincerity of my voice. Even when I thought you were being an idealistic fool. I stuck by you. Do you know why? Because of that night. I fell in love with you that night!

Cassie turned her feathers and flew away from her friends.

Cassie! Where are you going? Tobias asked.

Cassie?! Jake called.

Where am I taking you? Cassie asked me with much emotion in her thought-speech.

To Erek King. The Time Matrix is somewhere on Earth. If there's anybody who knows where it is, it would be the Chee.

Are you sure this will work? I asked.

If by some chance Erek and the Chee do know where the Time Matrix is, do you think they'd just tell us?

No, but I'd make them tell me.

How? You're a rat.

And you're a mole, so what? I grumbled. Digging to the Chee's underground park is a stupid idea.

You've got nothing else to do. She said lacking her usual tact.

Why are you so mean? I said outright.

I'm sorry, David, but you have to realize, to me, you're the 'bad' animorph. The one who tried to kill us all, and know you claim to be a 'different' David. One who fell in love with me . . . I'm just confused. That's all.

Time Travel. It screws with your head.

No, that's not it. That's the simple part. It was my fault.

Hey. You did what you thought was right.

I erased someone from existence. I erased one life and destroyed another.

You couldn't have known, Cassie.

You're definitely not the person we left on that hideous rock.

So, if it isn't the mind-pretzeling aspect of time travel, than what is it?

It's my feelings. I mean part of me knows you're telling the truth, as if I can remember racing you that night, and part of me remembers you kissing me on Easter. Another part is like 'That was all a dream. Leave David to die.' There's this whole other part that wonders . . .

Wonders what?

What happened when you fell in love with me? 

Nothing. I said. Nothing happened. Because you love Jake. Plain and simple. And while I did love you, part of me still does probably, I didn't love you the way Jake can. I don't know if I can love anybody that way again.

Why?

Don't worry about. She doesn't exist in this timeline. I said wistfully. Hey. I never told you about kissing you on Easter.

Cassie stopped digging right then. Then she started again. I have vague notions of the previous timeline. Why do you have such a clear memory?

I didn't have an answer to that. So I changed the subject. Digging this tunnel is gonna take forevaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—

Cassie and I were suddenly being forcibly sucked down a tube. After what seemed like five minutes of sliding down a tube we arrived at the Chee's park.

And we couldn't move.

Cassie. I'm paralyzed.

Pemalite Technology. So we don't hurt ourselves.

Two chee walked up to us. "Chee-Alinma, two more rodents got caught in your 'science project'" said one in a rather sarcastic sense of tone.

A human girl around age eight walked up. The girl disappeared (a hologram of course) and the Chee that took her place removed Cassie and me from whatever was holding us.

"As an 'AIA' student, I have to do a science project."

"Do you have to?"

"You tell me. You're the principal." 

"Well, keep them safe. The dogs will have a field day any one gets out."

The Chee that was holding us decide she wanted to talk to us. "Hi. I'm Chee-Alinma. But I go by Betsy Randall. I'm a third grader at Mt. Melody Elementary."

Mt. Melody? Was that other Chee Dr. McNamara? Cassie wondered aloud to me.

You went there? I asked.

And we had a really nice principal. He's still there.

Really nice, huh? How odd for a principal made out of steel. Why is she talking to us?

Little girls do that. Cassie explained.

She's not really a little girl.

Sometimes an actress gets caught in the part.

"I like it here in New Jersey. I've been in worse places. I was once a temple virgin in Tenochtitlan. That's in Mexico. They used to cut up people there." She said as she put us in cages and left.

Yipes. Just yipes. I said.

Where are we? Cassie asked. I can't see a thing.

We're in a room. We walked right into a tree. There's a bunch of cages with rodents in it. There is also a lot of Machines and some kind of safebox looking thing.

If you can find them, that would be great. I don't know what he could have told her to make her do that. said a voice.

That's Tobias! I realized.

They've come for you. Cassie said.

They don't know we're down here. They're just hiding.

Jake, Rachel, Marco, Aximili, Tobias, Erek, and another Chee in a hologram of mid-thirtish man came into the room.

"Sorry to do this to you, but this is the only place we could think of to hid." Jake told the man.

"Hopefully, Cassie didn't tell David about you guys." Rachel said.

Cassie is sometimes sentimental to a fault. Aximili said. She may still be trying to convince David not to harm us.

"Kind of hard. He's already a rat." Marco said.

Speaking of which, what's with all the rodents? Tobias asked.

"What's the matter, getting hungry?" Marco quipped.

"The chee who plays my daughter has a science fair project coming up." Said the 'man'. "Over here we have a energy field detector. We've used it to find you guys before. I see no problem with doing it again."

"What's this?" Marco asked of the safebox.

"That's our vault." Erek said. "We keep important things in there. Leave it alone."

"Sheesh. Touchy."

The Vault, huh? Do you think the Time Matrix is in there? I asked.

Doubtful, it's too small. Cassie said.

"I'm sorry, guys." The other Chee said. Mr. Randall, I guess. "The only one in morph who I'm picking up is Tobias."

"Tobias is a nothlit." Erek said. "You shouldn't be picking him up at all."

"Then who am I . . . ."

Seven sets (eight if you count Aximili for having two) of eyes locked onto the cages of rodents.

"Look for a white rat." Jake said.

"Be careful." Rachel said. "Cassie also has a white rat morph."

We've been made. I said.

They'll find you. Cassie said.

Probably. I said. I guess this is my fate.

Stop! Cassie shouted.

"Cassie?" Rachel asked.

Cassie, where are you? Tobias asked.

I'm with David. And I'm not leaving till I help him. Cassie said.

What are you doing? I asked.

What I think is right, David. What I think is right. 

"Cassie, the rat is evil. Tell us where he is so we can get rid of him once and for all." Rachel said hotly.

I've been in this morph for along time. Pretty soon I'll be trapped.

"Good God, Cassie, tell us where you are!" Jake yelled.

No. Not till David gets help.

"I don't think Bellevue takes rats." Marco said.

Where's the Time Matrix, Erek? 

"The Time Matrix! What could you possibly want with that?" Erek asked.

"David wants to go back in time and stop himself from becoming a rat." Marco said.

Erek didn't ask what it was. I told Cassie. He must know what is. He probably knows where it is too.

He won't tell us. Cassie said.

Tell him to open the vault. 

Open the vault, Erek. 

"No."

I only have a few minutes left in morph.

"Damnit, Erek! Open the vault!" Jake shouted.

"I'll open the damn vault." Rachel shouted. Erek got in her way. Marco morphed to Gorilla and lifted Erek out of the way. 

It's coded. Aximili said.

"Hit six." Jake said.

They opened the vault.

"It's just a bunch of junk, Cassie. Now, please. Demorph." Jake said.

Open my cage. I think I'm the only mole.

Aximili let Cassie out and she sped through her demorph. Than she grabbed my cage and held on to it. Aximili decided he didn't want to look at me and went rummaging through the Chee's personal things.

"Is that _him_?" Rachel asked with hatred in her voice.

"Yes, and I'm still helping him."

"Why?"

"You don't understand, Rachel. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"We all had a part in the plan, Cassie."

"No, you don't get it. When I . . . . John Berryman . . ."

"What do you want with the Time Matrix, David?" Erek asked.

Change things. Make me human. I'm gonna make John Berryman Sr. meet Theresa Knowlton in 1967.

"How do you know about that?" Rachel wondered.

"If you do that, then John Berryman becomes Visser Four's host and then he finds the Time Matrix. Then it's back to slavemaster Cassie and Junior Nazi Jake." Marco said.

That was before our involvement. The resulting future would probably be different. Tobias said.

"Look we had this discussion already. Do you have any better way of making sure that Visser Four never finds the Time Matrix." Marco said.

Easy. Kill Visser Four, and not his host.

"Brilliant, rat-boy." Marco said sarcastically. "Just one problem. We don't know where or when he was when he took John Berryman."

By Gorthan's Blade!!!! Aximili shouted. And he rarely shouts. He had been rummaging through the Chee's vault.

"What is it, Aximili?" Jake asked.

Most of this stuff, I don't really know what it is, most of if Pemalite probably, but this . . . he said holding something that looked like a pizza-cutter, except the disc was smaller. Which is what it was, a disc.

What is it, Ax-man? Tobias asked.

This is Andalite. Where did you get this? He asked Erek.

"Where do you think we got it, Aximili?" Erek said, eyes downcast.

Aximili activated something. The machine began to play

I am Elfangor.

I am an Andalite Prince. And I am about to die.

My fighter is damaged. I have crash-landed on the surface of the planet called Earth. I believe that my Dome Ship has been destroyed. I fear my little brother Aximili is already dead.

This is Elfangor's hirac delest!

We did not expect the Yeerks to be here in such force. We made a mistake. We underestimated the Yeerks. Not for the first time. We would have defeated their Pool ship and its fighters. But there was a Blade Ship in orbit as well.

The Blade Ship of Visser Three. . . . .

We listened. For a long time we listened to Elfangor's story. It included the Time Matrix. It was hidden under a pyramid. Probably by Erek's people. It was the Skrit Na who took it. Elfangor who found it. Hid it. In the last place we would have looked.

The construction site. I said.

"Look, is this really worth it?" Rachel said over the noise of the jackhammer. "All this so that David can survive?"

"I think it is, Rachel." Cassie argued.

"Of course, you do." Marco said. "First Aftran, now the evil rat."

No one asked you to help, you two. I grumbled.

"I'm making sure Cassie doesn't hurt herself buying _your _salvation, rat-boy." Marco said.

"Besides, you don't really think we'd let you travel in time by yourself?" Rachel said.

I believe I have found it. Aximili said, turning off the jackhammer. He was in Hork-Bajir morph, using the jackhammer. We were at the construction site at night. Jake was flying surveillance. Tobias was off somewhere. The rest of us were inside one of the buildings. 

"Finally. This is only the umpteenth hole we've dug." Marco said.

Ok. Now, David, you must touch the Time Matrix and think about where you want to be.

Hugh Heffner's Playboy Mansion. I said.

"You know maybe this is a different David. This one has a sense of humor." Marco said.

"So now he's a funny, rat-boy. Big deal. We're still chaperoning this little trip." Rachel said.

Guys! Jake said. Battle Morphs now! The Blade Ship is here! AHHHHH!

"Jake!" Cassie yelled halfway into wolf morph.

Aximili stayed in Hork-Bajir morph. Marco went Gorilla. Rachel morphed Grizzly. Tobias flew into the building and was promptly shot by a dracon beam. 

He was dead. Hork-bajir poured in. And then came true evil.

Rachel called me evil. I was disturbed. This guy was evil.

His host body was Alloran-Semitur-Corass. Months ago, I had heard the tale of his genocidal crime against the Hork-bajir. Ten hours ago, I heard how the disgraced War-prince became viciously reaped what he sowed. 

Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime.

Visser Three. We walked in daintily holding a dead falcon in one hand and something metal under his other arm.

The pizanrador. Aximili said as if it were important. When I activated it to play Elfangor's hirac delest, it must have emitted its confirmation signal. That's how they found us!

The Visser threw the metal thing under its arm. 

The head of a Chee.

I pressed my rat paws against the Time Matrix and prayed.


	35. Prophesy Denied

  
  


**_September 3, 196711:31 AM_**

  
  


**Rachel**

  
  


Time-travel sucks ass. I'm not being bitchy or PMS-ing, despite what Marco or David would say. I'm stating the cold-hard fact: Time travel sucks ass.

  
  


I've been called a witch, near trampled, near molested by horny British sailors, blown apart by cannon, lived through D-day and faced the man who tried to wipe out half of my ancestry.

  
  


Oh yeah, and my cousin died. 

  
  


Now to prevent all that, I have to rub out of existence one man. Not because he's the cause of this. But because he's the host of the person who caused all this. He has to die by never-been-born because he was forced to have a sentient, evil slug inserted in his ear.

  
  


So, yes, time travel sucks ass. We were just discussing that point.

  
  


"Visser Four changed history." Tobias said. He was in his real body, which is a morph. Long story. "Maybe for the worse, but maybe not. Hitler was just a lowly nobody. No Holocaust! We want to change it back so there _was _one?"

  
  


"You saw the way our future was." Cassie argued. "We still had slavery. We had no freedom. The Drode said homeless people were rounded up and shot."

  
  


"He wasn't lying." David said as he seemed to shudder. No one asked what became of David in that altered future, and David never volunteered information. But it doesn't take a Cassie to know that something about that timeline shook David.

  
  


Hardly anything shook him. He bitched, yelled, pissed, moaned over the slightest thing, but he never got shaken about huge things. Colossal things maybe, but huge he could handle with ample bitching. Something shook him.

  
  


"We can't let that happen." Cassie summed up.

  
  


"But we _can_ let the Holocaust happen?" I demanded. "Tobias is right. That future we saw that Future we were in, that's back when Visser Four had done all he did, but without us getting in his face. That was the result _without_ our intervention. Maybe in that timeline he did ten more things. We don't know what the result is _with_ our intervention. Maybe the future is better now. Maybe us saving Henry, and even taking out that Hessian officer, I don't know! Maybe . . ."

  
  


"We could use the Time Matrix, travel back to our own time, see what's happened. See if things are good." Tobias agreed.

  
  


"Does that not seem foolish now that we see how complex that history is?" Cassie wondered.

  
  


"We're already taking a gamble erasing an entire person from existence." David brought up. David has a habit of picking at some little detail until it becomes a big detail that often gets us near-killed.

  
  


"I'm just saying we go take a look." Tobias repeated. "See how it all played out."

  
  


"Hey, history is never 'played out'" Marco disputed. "We start fucking with the past, we fuck with the future. Maybe we like the way things look to us back in our time, but maybe we've screwed something else up down the line."

  
  


"Ooof!" said a long haired man behind us. He crashed in a woman with equally-long hair. It was this woman who was ogling the Time Matrix along with several others, with Ax trying desperately to keep them all at bay. I could tell he missed his tail at that point.

  
  


"Are you Theresa Knowlton?" said the man. "Wow. . . . Yeah, you must be. 'Cause you're real pretty."

  
  


The woman smiled half-vacantly. "Wow. Thanks, man. You look groovy yourself."

  
  


"Groovy? God, help me." Marco said.

  
  


"Did he say 'Theresa Knowlton'? That's John's mother. That's who we're trying to stop!" Cassie said.

  
  


"I'm John." said the man. "John Berryman." He said as he laughed for no apparent reason.

  
  


"I'm Theresa. Oh, wait. You knew that already."

  
  


John giggled some more.

  
  


"Shit! We failed!" Marco cursed.

  
  


"Dude," Theresa said to John, "are you high?"

  
  


John giggled. "Yeah. A talking rat just said you were my soulmate." he said as he burst out laughing and held out his hand to take Theresa's. The two of them walked off together like the happy hippie couple they were.

  
  


"I hope my parents didn't meet this way." I said.

  
  


The other hippies followed Theresa and John and Ax no longer had to defend the Time Matrix.

  
  


"Did he say a talking rat?" Ax asked.

  
  


"Was his name 'Splinter'?" David asked.

  
  


I joke to damn much. said a voice. The thought-speech voice sounded like David's.

  
  


A lot like David's.

  
  


"Did everybody else hear that?" I asked.

  
  


That's when we saw another Time Matrix. Yes, ANOTHER Time Matrix floating toward us. It had a rider. His off-white fur blended with the off-whiteness of the Time Matrix. I almost didn't see him, but we all heard him.

  
  


David Hunting!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! the rat said as it came, floating speedily toward us in the sky.

  
  


Who was this guy? Was it David in morph? From the future? No, David's rat morph is black, not white.

  
  


The Rat aimed right for the Time Matrix. As they were about to hit, the Rat jumped off and hit David's chest.

  
  


He went _through _David's chest! And didn't come out the other side. David instinctively grabbed at his chest, but then clutched his head like a psychopath and collapsed. 

  
  


The second Time Matrix disappeared after hitting our Time Matrix.

  
  


"Ax! What's going on?!" Tobias demanded.

  
  


"I believe the two Time Matrices . . . merged. Trices. Tra-seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees."

  
  


"What about David?" Cassie asked.

  
  


David looked up with a combination of exasperation and horror. Like he was getting profoundly tired of being scared to death.

  
  


I never liked David. There were times when I liked him. I even tolerated him. I respected him as a warrior, but I never liked him. He's obnoxious, rude, crass, know-it-all, all a round prick.

  
  


And I caught him macking on Melissa Chapman two weeks ago. Again, I had wished my relationship with Melissa was better. Then she'd tell me these things.

  
  


David, on the other hand, he well, couldn't be controlled. From his haphazard initiation into the group, David has always acted like the loner. The one hornet among so many bees. Acquiring morphs just for the hell of it, working on weird computer programs and devices without telling anyone about them, not even his roomate, Ax, going as far north as New York City and far south as Atlanta just because he can.

  
  


And now, I'm convinced he has something going on with Melissa. I just don't know what.

  
  


When he first arrived, we were all worried he would turn on us. He didn't. But he always seems to be working toward his own agenda. Like he has something better to do. 

  
  


But he remains loyal to us, the Animorphs. So I guess I can't ask much more from him.

  
  


David staggered toward a park bench. It was only then did I notice we were in a park. David sat up.

  
  


"I was a rat. Why do I remember everything? Why do your minds change with the flow of time and mine does not?"

  
  


"David, are you ok?" Ax asked.

  
  


"We have to stop Visser Four. And this time, we stop the him. The real Yeerk."

  
  


"No. No. No. No! No! No! NO! NO! NO!" said a familiar voice. "I can't take this anymore!!!" said the voice as the source appeared. 

  
  


The Drode.

  
  


"You'll screw everything up!!!!" He shrieked again.

  
  


"David does that a lot. You learn to live with it." Marco said.

  
  


"It wouldn't be a problem if he didn't remember everything!!!"

  
  


"Why is that?" David asked. "Why do their minds change and mine just becomes more compound?"

  
  


"You foul-bastard son!" Drode shrieked at David. "Despite the _joint_ efforts of my master Crayak and his sniveling opponent the Ellimist to keep my master's brood away from our little gameboard, that despicable Quinz still managed to bond some stupid human mortal with a piece of the essence of his doomed halfling progeny."

  
  


"What the hell are you babbling about?" David yelled.

  
  


"'What the _hell_'? Not far off, **_Beast-rat!!!_**" The Drode yelled. He then turned his rage on Cassie. "_You_. You soft-hearted little bitch! This is your fault!!!!"

  
  


David and I both started to rush toward the Drode, but he disappeared and reappeared farther away. "You'll destroy your universe, yet, Hunting. You'd think we'd be safe. This dimension has no shield or stone, but NO! You have this hunk of ex-ketran flesh/machine!" The Drode kicked the Time Matrix as if it were a car that was giving it trouble. "Fuck Dracen artifacts. Let's destroy the world with the corporeal leftovers of the very person who's trying to save it. That would be deliciously ironic and wonderful, if only such a possibility didn't mean certain doom for my master."

  
  


"Certain Doom for _Crayak_?" I repeated flabbergasted. Something could hurt Crayak! Did I really want to know what that was? 

  
  


Could David hurt Crayak? Did I want to know how?

  
  


The Drode turned to me. "David is dangerous. You know it. He is a pox. He shouldn't be here. Do the universe a favor. Use that Time Matrix and erase him from existence!"

  
  


"Don't do it, Rachel." Tobias said instantly. Why did Tobias want to save David?

  
  


"Ask David." The Drode said. "Ask David who was _supposed_ to defeat him."

  
  


I just turned to David. "You were." He said without waiting for me to ask. "You were the one who was supposed to defeat me."

  
  


I didn't understand. Defeat him? When? He yelled at Cassie for saving him, but she looked just as confused as I felt. She didn't understand either. 

  
  


"Could just explain to me what the fuck is going on?" Marco shouted.

  
  


I shook my head, hoping to shake out all the confusion. No success. "Look, the Drode is just babbling. We need to find a new way to get the time line back to how it was. Forget what I said before; we can't stop the Holocaust. We can't kill off John Berryman Jr. We can't live in any alternate time line." I said.

  
  


"What if we already are?" Tobias said suddenly. "What if something someone did with the Time Matrix is affecting us right now. Changing how it was."

  
  


A weird mix of fascination and fear contorted the Drode's raisin-like face.

  
  


"I changed it." Cassie realized. "That's why you're yelling at me. I must have gone back and changed something, but don't remember changing anything."

  
  


"Maybe a future version of you changed it." Ax suggested.

  
  


"What did I change?"

  
  


"David." Marco said. "The Drode's temper tantrum revolves around David." Marco looked right at David who's head was facing the ground. "He was going to betray us, in which we would have defeated him. Killed him."

  
  


"And I saved him."

  
  


"Such children. Such dangerously smart children." The Drode. "Puck chose the species well."

  
  


"Robin Goodfellow?" David asked stupidly.

  
  


"What is so special about David?" Ax asked the Drode. "What is the significance of him. What mystery are you, Crayak, and the Ellimist covering up?"

  
  


The Drode laughed. "There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Andalite. More things than in mine, too. Now matter how deep you go, there is always another level. What fools we mortals be."

  
  


"You're a mortal?" David asked.

  
  


"Once upon a dream." The Drode answered. "I have said too much. The deal is off now! I will restore your precious Jake to life. And the seven of you will be sent back to your own time, as it has been altered from when you stymied Visser Four at Agincourt."

  
  


"You can't do that!" Cassie shouted.

  
  


"I don't think the Ellimist would . . ." Tobias said.

  
  


"The Ellimist _has_, Tobias." Drode said. "He, too, sees no other way. He, too, sees the threat that David represents."

  
  


David could destroy us all. He has, essentially. If I live a different life with different experiences, am I the same person? No. I was half-tempted to take up the Drode's offer, but then I would just be another of Crayak's toadies.

  
  


No, David had to be stopped. Even he could see that now. Couldn't he? Or will he just be stubborn and fight fate?

  
  


I had to stop David Hunting.

  
  


I had to save David Hunting.

  
  


The Disruption Field we created to bring down the Yeerks' Bug Fighters was working. Another of David's brainstorms that the Andalites made into reality. That's when the Morph-Slayers came. Hunter-killer androids sent to hunt and kill those with morph energy. The first designs were laughable. We defeated them easily, but the Yeerks have made use of their human hosts. The use the minds of their human slaves to cook up hellish designs of nightmarish terror that no Yeerk could ever conceive. I guess Humans really do have a monopoly on terror.

  
  


I guess that's why the universe hates us so. 

  
  


It was two of these hellish machines that had ganged-up on Captain Hunting. He had the morph of particularly massive Hork-Bajir. The kind that could snap other Hork-Bajir like twigs, but he was getting overrun by two Morph-Slayers.

  
  


Lt. McCabe came to me. Marco. My love.

  
  


Berenson! The Captain is getting creamed! We must save him! he said. He was in leopard morph.

  
  


How? I asked. I was in Golden Eagle morph.

  
  


I don't know, Lieutenant, McCabe said, but if we lose David Hunting, we lose the war.

  
  


McCabe was right. Captain Hunting had to be saved. He turned the tide of the War here in North America, after Tobias was killed and Jake was put in charge of a Battalion in England. The Imperial Royalty was the Yeerk's number one priority. The Yeerks must _never_ take Emperor John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

  
  


But what about us? Cassie and I tried to raise an army in Jake's absence, but we were not ready for the Capture squads. Hork-Bajir, Humans, Taxxons, even a few S-s-s-strams, Maks, and Naharans.

  
  


When we recruited David, things changed. He had ideas, and when Andalite reinforcements came, despite the small number, David showed them what was what and made them follow his lead. We became united, unlike any Yeerk Seizure Prevention Campaign ever before. The Andalites may have built them, but it was David who truly brought us the Disruption fields, the Anti-Yeerk Earplugs, and K-gas. 

  
  


It was Captain Hunting who turned the tide. I would do anything for Captain Hunting. 

  
  


I would die for David Hunting. 


	36. Oh Captain, My Captain

**_November 13, 1999            6:32 PM_**

****

**Rachel**

I flew down and demorphed.  I remorphed to Elephant. Bailey!  DiPatri!  I need Buffalo Cover!  Full Arsenal!

Bailey and DiPatri were both fast morphers.  Not estreens per se.  Their morphs were as ugly as the rest of ours, but they were fast.  Speed was essential when morphing on the front line.  ****They morphed buffalos and they were each outfitted with a large AM-III Cannon on their backs, which they could control with thought-speech, and only their thought-speech.  Another one of Captain Hunting's brainchildren.  Bailey and DiPatri joined me.  

Disruption Sparks on my signal.  Bailey, you get the Poly-pendage.  DiPatri, hit the Reaper.

Poly-pendage and Reaper were code-names we used for the various types of Morph-slayers.  Poly-pendage was called that because it was a ten-foot monster with six arms and almost uncountable number of tendrils, tails, and tentacles, each with a horrible weapon or purpose.

The Reaper looked a lot like the Grim Reaper, and even had a scythe-like blade coming out of the wrists.  It made Hork-Bajir blades look like pocketknives.

One of each was attaching Captain Hunting.  The Captain had removed one of the Reaper's arms and several of the Poly's tendrils.  McCabe was slashing and biting at the head of the Reaper. 

Take care not to hit the Captain or Lt. McCabe.  Ready?  Fire!!

Baily and DiPatri fired off two Disruption sparks, which looked like giant yellow sparks. They hit their targets and instantly, the two machines stopped moving for some time.  Enough time for me to smash the Poly with my tusks and for McCabe to rip the CPU out of the Reaper's head.

You okay, Captain? I asked.

What am I . . . . .?  Where . . .?  Oh shit! The Captain said.  He seemed lost.  Disoriented.  He clutched his head like it hurt.

Captain? asked DiPatri.  Her voice sounding like she was addressing her father, even though Hunting was a year younger than her.

Captain Hunting! said Warrior Millu–Yosti–Cranshtaw, an Andalite, over the communicator.  Bug Fighters above the Dis-Field.  Dracon Weapon powering up.

  


Power up, Anti-Dracon Shield. Captain Hunting commanded.

Anti-Drac shield down. said the Warrior.

The Captain looked at us. We're gonna have to take care of them ourselves.  How many?

Three.

I can see them. said Lt. McCabe.  He was in Leopard morph.

Wait.  Hold on. Captain Hunting said.  I heard the familiar sound of squishing eyes.

Captain Hunting was piece-morphing.  It was a technique he invented.  While still in some overall morph, a morpher could demorph part of his body and have it remorph into something else.  Actually, Cassie Verenda was the first to do it.  The Captain only developed it.

Captain Hunting often did this to give some morph, like his Hork-Bajir morph, better night vision.  He usually picked eyes of the Barn Owl.

I see them too. He said.  He gave attack vectors.  Bailey and DiPatri fired at the fighters.  Two went down.   

The Captain ripped open the Poly-pendage and took something out. It was its Dracon Beam.  Capt. Hunting then fired it at the remaining Bug Fighter and destroyed it.  I would have been impressed if this was the first time I had seen him do it.

The Captain then did something strange.  He plopped the weapon down and said – like he was very tired – "Let's get back to base."

The Captain was never tired.  I mean, he got tired, obviously, but he never let his speech show it.  He sounded almost defeated, but we won.  We achieved our objective.  We activated the sensor and concealed it from the Yeerks.  Even a squad of Morph-slayers and three Bug Fighters couldn't stop us.  Why did the Captain sound so tired?

We all morphed to Bat, the ten of us, and flew back to base.  Capt. Hunting led the way like he had a hundred times before, but when we got there, he said This is our base?

Yes, sir. Carmen DiPatri said.

It's the construction site where Prince Elfangor met with General Berenson and the other Original Animorphs. said Daniel Finn. Including Lt. Berenson and Lt. McCabe.

Right.  I knew that. said the Captain.  We landed and demorphed.  The Captain forgot to debrief Big Y, so McCabe did it for him.          

  


We were off duty now.  I could call him Marco.  Anyway, Marco gave me this meaning full look before he went to see War-Prince Yevon-Bevel-Yuvice, or Big Y, the 'leader' of the operation.  Meanwhile, I had grabbed a shredder from the Armory, annoyed that I had tried to fight that last battle unarmed.

Something was wrong with Hunting.  He wasn't acting himself.

I found him in his trailer.  We started using Trailers as Officer's Quarters.  As if they were movie stars or something.  

"Captain?  Is anything wrong?"

"You recuited me." the Captain said.  "How did I come to outrank you?"

"The Andalites gave you that title.  Don't you remember?"

"Right.  After I organized them."  He said as he left his trailer.  He seemed to take in the destruction around him as if seeing it for the first time.  "It got this bad?  How did it get this bad?"

He knew this story.   What was going on?  One of those Morph-Slayers may have messed up his memory, but that sounds so Power Ranger!

I humored him.  "The five of us, the original Animorphs, fought a covert, secret, guerilla war against the Yeerks.  It was going fine, until the Empire stumbled upon their existence.  Unbeknownst to us, the Empire sent secret task fleets to destroy the Central Yeerk Pools in England and the Empire's territories here in North America.  It backfired horribly."

"So Jake steps up and tells the Emperor."  The captain interjects.

Nobody calls him Jake.  Everyone calls him General Berenson.  Yes.  "That's what General Berenson did.  The Empire immediately appointed the _men_ to command positions.  We girls were sent back to the American Colonies.  With General Berenson and the others protecting the Central Isle, someone had to protect the AC's."

"So you recruited us.   Thirty-two of us." The captain continued.  "Then the Andalites came." 

The Captain walked outside of his trailer and seemed to take in the surroundings.  "Open war.  This is the result of open war."

That's when Capt. Hunting did what he normally does.  Walk briskly to wherever he needs to go.

But where does he need to go?  We had no new mission.  I followed him as he made his way to the mess hall.  He stopped at one of the tables.  There, some of our soldiers were eating.

I watched as Captain Hunting lifted the table up and threw it far.  The soldiers who were eating, mostly humans but some andalites, backed off like scared, confused rabbits.  The Captain morphed.   

He became about seven feet tall with sharp razors for claws.  He was a dull yellow color with four small eyes and two large ears.   His morph also had two clawed dog-like legs and a tail.  

I recognized this creature.  It was a digging creature from the moon of an uninhabited planet.  I forgot its name though.

Captain Hunting began digging in that spot feverishly.  I had never seen this kind of action from him.  He did things that were at times reckless and brutal, but this seemed almost insane.  Why, the hell, was he digging in the middle of our mess hall?

"Captain?  May I ask what you're doing?"  I said.

Don't bother asking, I'll answer anyway.  I'm fixing time.

"Um . . . what?"

I can't expect you to understand Rachel.  Hell, I don't understand it.  Too many Davids.  Too many mes in me.

"What?!"  I said as I thought _He's lost it.  He's finally lost it.  After all the battles, he's finally lost his marbles._

Big Y, along with more Big-Wigs.  An Apex-level agent for the Andalite Intelligence named Sumika-Kelcro-Kinozc and his little toadie Semar-Unsea-Gwadornt rushed in with Marco.  I mean, Lt. Cabe.

Captain, may I ask what you're doing? Big Y said.

The Lieutenant already asked.   I answered her.  Don't bother me.

I was shocked.  The Captain mouthed off to Big Y!  He never does that.   Okay, I take that back, but he never did it with such contempt before.

"He said something about fixing time."

"The Captain has finally lost it, Commander." Marco said.

'Fixing time'? Sumika repeated. He then stepped up and pulled his Shredder out.  He then addressed Captain Hunting like a criminal!   Captain Hunting!   I command you by order of the Apex level of the Andalite Intelligence to cease and desist all actions!

Captain!  You will do this at once! Big Y shouted.

I found it! Captain Hunting shouted.

Semar! Sumika commanded.  

Semar began to morph.  He was an estreen, so he was fast.  He became a large flying insect.  An insect that was the size of a house with huge bladed pincers.   The flying monster flew toward the hole in the ground where Capt. Hunting continued to work feverishly.

Before I knew it, I had drawn my shredder and fired at the large bug.  

Lt. McCabe! Commander Yevon shouted at me.

"Rachel!" Marco yelled as he ran to me.  Several Soldiers, human and andalite had now drawn shredders and pointed them at the small area where myself, Marco McCabe, two unmorphed andalites, a wounded, morphed andalite, and a large hole now stood.  It was unclear which soldiers were aiming at whom, but they all looked nervous and they all awaited a signal.

Marco had come to me.  "Are you crazy?  Firing at an Agent of the Andalite Intelligence?"

"You said it yourself.  'We lose Hunting, we lose the war.'"

"If Hunting is nuts, than we've already lost."

"You're being negative again."

"I am not!"

Lt. McCabe!  Seize the traitor. Commander Yevon shouted.  Seize her, or you will be charged too.

Marco looked at me.  I knew what he was thinking.   After Tobias died, I was doubtful I would fall in love again.  Least of all, Marco.   He too, was surprised by his growing romantic interest in me.  He had returned to the AC under the Empire's orders.   The Empire wanted someone they trusted around Commander Yevon.   When we finally admitted our love for one another he said I would be the death of him.   I never told him about my brief affair with Hunting.  The Captain doesn't like to bring it up.  Neither do I, for that matter.

But I still trusted Hunting.  I knew that he had a purpose for whatever he was doing.  

I looked back into Marco's eyes, and his eyes answered me.  He morphed into Gorilla.

Hunting. He said privately.  You better have a damn good reason for this.   Then to Big Y and the others.  Sorry, Big Y, but I won't turn in some of the greatest damn soldiers of the Empire to you aliens.  I work with you and I respect you, but I was never your vassal.   I do what I do for the good of the Empire.  Now and forever! 

Foolish Human! Sumika shouted.  Do you not know what Hunting has found?

Marc Antony!  Get down here! Hunting shouted to Marco.  You too, Cleopatra!

Marco grabbed me with his gorilla arms and jumped down into the hole that Hunting made.   We landed on a rounded off-white surface.  David was demorphing.  Big Y and Sumika were coming for us.

What the hell are you doing, Hunting? Marco yelled.

"Touch the sphere and keep your minds blank." Hunting said.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Go somewhere and take you two with me.  You did say you wanted to chaperone."

What?  When did I say that?   Chaperone where?

"Here we go again!" Hunting said.

Noooo! Sumika shouted.  He found the Time Matrix!!!!

And suddenly we were no longer in hole at our home base.

*************************************************************************************************

The Plot Bunny that wouldn't Die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next chapter will be the end of the MM4 Arc, I promise.


	37. Captain Hunting's Last Stand

**Rachel**

  
  


**_???? ????_**

  
  


"She's coming to, Captain." Marco said.

  
  


I fainted?! Eccch! What a stupid, girly thing to do! I stood up and found myself in jungle foliage. Jungle foliage that looked very . . . alien.

  
  


"Where are we?" I asked. 

  
  


"A different timeline." Hunting answered. "A timeline where Leera was not lost, a visser was shunned, and a deadly weapon was found and used against the humans."

  
  


"What weapon?" Marco asked.

  
  


"The very same machine we used to get here." Hunting said. "Even though Visser Four's finding of the Matrix resulted in your . . . . our timeline, the altered timeline leaves the Time Matrix unfound."

  
  


He was speaking gibberish. Although, we were definitely on an alien planet. Not one I've been to. I had not been on any of the major planets: The Hork-Bajir home world, the Taxxon Home World, Leera, Korla-Mak, or the Naharan Home World. The Naharan Home World had some ridiculously long name that I couldn't remember, but nonetheless, I was never there. However, I have been on enough moons and planets to know when I am 'grazing on strange pastures' as the andalites say, so I knew we were not on Terra Firma. So how did we get here? 

  
  


Hunting finished covering a white sphere with mud and leaves, camouflaging it amongst the trees. 

  
  


"That was the thing that Hunting dug out of the mess hall." Marco whispered to me. "I heard Sumika call it the 'Time Matrix'." 

  
  


"Captain Hunting had said something about that just now." I whispered back.

  
  


"What I said, my friends," Hunting said in a loud voice, making sure we realized he could hear us, "was that this was the machine that brought us here. It is the machine that a disgraced Yeerk Visser will use to alter our history."

  
  


"You mean like kill off the Royal Kennedy's?" I asked.

  
  


Hunting shook his head solemnly. "No. Our lives are the result of the Visser's meddling. We will kill him here, before he comes to Terra Firma, finds the Time Matrix, and screws up time."

  
  


"Wait, you mean to tell me that our history is wrong?" Marco asked.

  
  


"Not wrong," Hunting said. "Just different."

  
  


"Well, pardon me, Captain, but who the fuck are you to decide which history should be allowed to exist?!" 

  
  


"Tell me something, Lieutenant. What if I told you by killing a single yeerk, and possibly his host, we could make it so that the Open War on Terra Firma doesn't happen. At least, not at our point in time."

  
  


Marco seemed to waver at that. "How can you be sure?"

  
  


"Because I lived it."

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"Somehow my mind is . . . . immune . . . . to changes in the time-space continuum. I'm living a life and then all of the sudden I'm living another life."

  
  


"Because someone changed it."

  
  


"Yes."

  
  


"With this machine?" I interjected pointing to the Time Matrix.

  
  


"Yes."

  
  


"Let me guess. The 'change' happened today. During the mission." Marco added.

  
  


"Again, yes."

  
  


"So now you're trying to reverse it." Marco said. "Well, in this 'correct' timeline, are the Yeerks there?"

  
  


"Yes, and the six original Animorphs still fight a guerilla war with them."

  
  


"All six?" Marco asked tentatively.

  
  


Tobias is alive in his timeline. And if we where in his timeline now, than . . . Tobias is alive right now!!!

  
  


"Tobias is alive right now!" I said.

  
  


"And he'll stay alive if you help me." Hunting said.

  
  


I looked at Marco. My comment on Tobias was less than sensitive. Since his return to the American Colonies, Marco has felt like he has been living in shadows. Jake's shadow on the battlefield. Tobias's shadow off the battlefield. 

  
  


And now Captain Hunting wants to change it so that Tobias survives, and Marco and I never get together.

  
  


But if the Earth is not in open war, that was good, right?

  
  


"Is it better to still be fighting covertly?" Marco asked Captain Hunting, seemingly mirroring my thoughts. "When the war came out in the open, it gave us a fighting chance."

  
  


"Fighting chance? I still have all my memories of this timeline, Lieutenant. Believe me, the memories of violence and carnage dwarf my sniveling counterpart memories. Only a handful of human lives have been lost to the Yeerk Agression. How many in this timeline, one hundred thousand? Five hundred thousand? A million?"

  
  


"It's more than simple mathematics, Captain." Marco said staring at him, but with a split second glance to me.

  
  


"I'm sorry, Marco. But if it is any consolation the you in that timeline is very handsome and good with the ladies."

  
  


"Really?" Marco asked.

  
  


"Sure." Hunting said unconvincingly. 

  
  


"Well. Let's do it." 

  
  


"That's her line."

  
  
  
  
  
  


We walked through the jungle for a few minutes before Marco thought to ask "Do you know where we are going, Captain?"

  
  


"Truthfully, no. I don't even know what planet we're on. I just know that the Yeerk we're looking for is here."

  
  


"Do you know his name or designation? Do you know what host he's in?"

  
  


"No. Just that he used to be Visser Four."

  
  


"Captain! You're leading us on a wild goose chase!" I shouted. "What are you looking for?"

  
  


"A sign. In both this timeline and ours, whenever I screw up, something comes along and help me out. I'm just lucky that way."

  
  


Captain Hunting's last sentence was immediately followed by a horrible screech.

  
  


Some alien animal had moved through the jungle trees and grabbed the Captain. The creature looked like a large scorpion, but with an elongated neck and head that it held aloft. The head seemed to have small pedipalps that extended out. The claws were very scorpion-like, but the tail seemed to be more of a large, bulbous thorax. It was a reddish brown color with pale green stripes.

  
  


And it was as big as a house.

  
  


Hunting had morphed into his large Hork-Bajir morph and started to fight the claw that grabbed him. Marco and I began morphing as fast as possible. I was morphing to Elephant. He was morphing to leopard. A huge shadow fell over us, but I didn't stop to look up. Marco was already slashing at the creature, carefully avoiding the claws, when I completed my morph and charged the creature. 

  
  


It reflexively guarded itself with his one claw that wasn't holding Hunting and absorbed the impact. The creature grabbed me with the claw and tried to pick me up, but apparently I was too heavy. So it released me and began to pummel me with the claw that held Hunting, while Marco slashed at the other one.

  
  


This is getting us nowhere. Marco said.

  
  


That's when I noticed that the shadow that fell over us was actually a very, _very_ large bird. It let out a shriek, and then as if the shriek were a call, two small beasts sprang out of the jungle foliage and attacked the creature.

  
  


I say small because this is in comparison to the scorpion creature. In actuality the two beasts were probably taller than my elephant morph.

  
  


One of the beasts looked just like Beast, from _Beauty and the Beast_. It was large, furry, canine-ish, with opposable thumbs on its front paws. It had reddish-brown fur and antlers that twisted to look like a Japanese kanji or whatever they're called.

  
  


The second beast was also hairy, but mostly reptilian. It stood upright at the same height as the red beast, but was covered in green scales that sprouted purple fur at the shoulders, arms (there were four of them), legs, tail, head, face, and . . . . well . . . let's just say its bathing suit area. 

  
  


The purple-furred creature climbed up a tree, wrapped its tail around the trunk, and (this was in a blur of motion) kicked-off from the tree, flew toward the Scorpion Thing's arm that held Hunting, bit off said arm, and then rubber-banded back to the tree. I say 'rubber-banded' because that's exactly what happened. During all this, the purple-furred creature's tail was _still wrapped around the tree_. It seemed to be very elastic.

  
  


Meanwhile, the large red-furred beast was simply helping Marco bit and slash at the other claw. Hunting laid unconscious on the ground.

  
  


The Scorpion Thing seemed very lost at the sight of his lost claw when suddenly, it began to grow back. I charged the Scorpion Thing but was once again blocked by an unoccupied claw. I heard the familiar gallop of an Andalite coming from behind the Scorpion Thing and I instinctively moved to get a view.

  
  


This Andalite had purple fur, which was a moderate rarity. Kind of like lefties and righties among humans. This andalite was BIG. He was seriously huge. He was muscle upon muscle upon muscle of Andalite might. His huge tail blade made the scythe blades of the Reaper Morph-slayers look like kitchen knives. While most Andalites have weak arms. His right arm looked so powerful and buff, it looked like it could punch through steel.

  
  


Then, and only then did I notice his left arm. It was shorter, skinnier, and the hand that was supposed to have seven fingers had only seven nubs where fingers should be. I had once seen the exact same birth defect on a human. That's what this was, a birth defect.

  
  


However it wasn't his left arm that next grabbed my attention. It was his tail. With an almost lazy effortlessness, he swung his huge blade and severed the Scorpion thing's Thorax. The creature writhed in pain.

  
  


Onsor! Now! The huge Andalite shouted. That was when the huge bird in the sky came down and ripped off the head of the Scorpion thing.

  
  


Moshug! said a male andalite voice. The reddish beast held its head with noticeable, exhausted relief, so I assumed it was he who was talking. I forgot even without its thorax a gwuinaps can live for days.

  
  


You forget a great many things, Vossi. said a female andalite voice. From the purple creature's movements, I assumed that it was she. Like how gwuinapi travel in herds.

  
  


That's when four more Scorpion Things, or Gwuinapi showed up. The large bird, whose name might be Onsor, grabbed one in its huge talons and flew off with it. The Humongoid andalite with the birth defect fought one. The two morphed andalites each fought another. Marco continued to help the Red Beast, whose name might be Vossi. I decided to help the purple creature.

  
  


Need help? I asked the Purple creature.

  
  


Yes. She said very sardonically. I instantly liked her.

  
  


Our plan, which she explained very quickly, was for her to wrap the gwuinaps' claws with her stretchy tail and then pull them up high so I can bash the creature's midsection with my tusks. She was actually hoping the gwuinaps would then bite me so she could get a clear shot to bit off its head.

  
  


This may have worked if I suddenly didn't become aware of a fifth gwuinaps. I came out looking to charge me when something else popped out of the ground. 

  
  


The first thing I noticed was the mixed skin color. Most of it was light blue, but then its head, arms, legs, and tail were a mix of green and purple. The second thing I noticed was that its head was a squid.

  
  


I am exaggerating, but it did looked like a squid. Basically, it was a green and purple ball with green and purple tentacles coming out of it everywhere. Up top. In front, in back all around the side. Even a few underneath the chin. I then noticed that two of these tentacles had eyes attached.

  
  


The next thing I saw was the new creature's hands. They were normal looking, albeit green and purple. Four fingers and a thumb. Completely normal looking except for the fact that they were at the end of its legs. When this new creature, who was about the size of a human or maybe more like a great dane standing up, came out of the ground, it had landed on its long tail. Its tail held its body up like a stand as his two hands continued to fire shredders at the new gwuinaps. It went down like a sack of bricks. Then, like a crack shot, shot the heads off of the gwuinaps Marco and I were fighting with the two morphed beasts. The humongous andalite with the birth defect had already vanquished his enemy. The large bird came down obviously having handled his opponent. While morphed and unmorphed andalite eyes glared at this creature for a minute, they quickly turned to Marco and me.

  
  


Who are you? said the large andalite.

  
  


I am Lt. Rachel Berenson of the Terra Firman Resistance. I said.

  
  


I am Lt. Marco McCabe of the Terra Firman Resistance. Marco replied. And that unconscious Hork-Bajir is our captain, David---,

  
  


HOLD YOUR TONGUE, MARCO! said the obviously not unconscious Hork-Bajir. The Large Andalite's stalk eyes turned to look at Hunting. His large Hork-Bajir form rose slowly from what I'm sure had to be a bitch of a headache.

  
  


My prince, I think these are--- the female Andalite began to say.

  
  


Quiet. the Large Andaltie hushed sternly, but gently.

  
  


Come, fellow Andalites. We have much business to discuss. the Large andalite said in a voice that seemed almost theatrical and overdone.

  
  


"Disa quad-greek ashta fol caan?" said the alien in a strange mix of euphoric vocalizations and cacophnic hisses. I was wondering where the sound was coming from. 

  
  


Its head remained a movement of squishy tentacles. No eyes, except on stalks. No ears. No mouth. It had two arms which ended in large claws that looked suitable for digging. It must work since I saw this creature come out of the ground. It's two legs, which it now stood on, ended in hands, as I said before. It was then I noticed that what I thought was blue skin was actually clothing.

  
  


That's a Nahara! Marco said privately to me.

  
  


No, Sid. This is Andalite business. said the Large Andalite.

  
  


Sid? Marco said. Its name is Sid? How . . . . . normal sounding.

  
  


He knows we're humans. Captain Hunting said. If he says anything about Leera, just nod. Yes, we fought on Leera.

  
  


Captain, we never fought on--- Marco began to say.

  
  


Just do it, Lieutenant! 

  
  


Stay in morph, humans. Follow us. The large andalite said privately to us.

  
  


We walked quietly to a large scoop as the large bird flew overhead. The two other andalites have since demorphed. The female Andalite was blue, very thin, very waif-like. Yet she seemed to posses this inner strength that shone from her eyes. Kind of like me, I guess. 

  
  


The other Andalite was muscular. Not to the extent of Purple Leader but more defined and muscular than Ax or Visser Three. He was about as muscular as some of the more trained and, shall we say, less bright andalite soldiers.

  
  


When we got to the Scoop, the large bird landed on the ground. I noticed that the large bird had front paws covered in what seemed like an excessive amount of feathers. The bird kept them curled up to its body. He peered over the jungle trees, keeping watch, like Tobias used to do so long ago.

  
  


I am Warrior Vossi-Balitz-Asrukaw. said the blue male Andalite. And this is _Aritsh_ Looyi-Agaren-Vudalo.

  
  


Funny, Vossi. said the blue female. I am not part of the Andalite military. I am scientist who has had to . . . improvise.

  
  


We have all had to improvise. said the purple leader.

  
  


And this is Prince Neuruw-Unsea-Digaren. Vossi said.

  
  


I am actually just an old Warrior. Neuruw said. But like I said. We've had to improvise.

  
  


Who's that? Hunting asked of the bird.

  
  


That is Warrior Onsor-Mikarum-Tesnal.

  
  


Why doesn't he demorph? Marco asked.

  
  


He would. If he could.

  
  


I let it sink in. 

  
  


Since it happened, Onsor doesn't speak too much. Vossi said.

  
  


He never spoke much anyway. Looyi said.

  
  


Why are we being required to stay in morph? You know we are humans. Hunting asked.

  
  


I didn't want Sid to see a morphing species other than Andalite. We've told him repeatedly that we will not recruit him and give him the morphing power. You may demorph now, if you choose.

  
  


It is a shame. After all he is the last free Nahara. Vossi said.

  
  


He is NOT the last, Vossi. Neuruw said. We have Mistress Anu.

  
  


As if on cue. A second Nahara, this one green and pink, walked in wearing a white outfit. "Gwall tri nor ishtaga?" she asked.

  
  


No, Mistress. Get your rest, the ship is due soon.

  
  


"What ship?" Hunting asked.

  
  


An Andalite ship has finally come for us. We care a precious cargo. Mistress Anu. Looyi said.

  
  


"What's so special about her? She's just one nahara." Marco said.

  
  


Not one. But One carrying many. Vossi explained.

  
  


"Huh?" Marco said.

  
  


But I understood. "She's pregnant?"

  
  


Soon, Anu will give birth to, I estimate, eight nahara cubs. Looyi said.

  
  


"Eight?!"

  
  


That is as many as Looyi can see with our primative equipment. There maybe as many as twelve or thirteen in there. Vossi said.

  
  


Looyi shot him a look. 

  
  


Why are you humans here? You are, of course, the humans who were given the morphing power by Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthall, correct?

  
  


"Actually, it was . . . ." I began.

  
  


"Yes, that's correct." Hunting said.

  
  


So, why have you come to D'nakra Vilaspir Trispa Nee-druka Tseeeray Paz?

  
  


"Dinakra-what?" Marco asked.

  
  


The name of this planet. Ludicrously long, isn't it?

  
  


"We've come to assassinate Visser Four. The Yeerk who led the failed Campaign for the Seizure of Leera." Hunting explained.

  
  


Mmph. That yeerk is a lowly soldier now. There is talk that he may become Visser Twenty-one's temrash, but . . .

  
  


"He still needs to die. Before he comes to Terra Firma."

  
  


Why?

  
  


Hunting paused. "He has knowledge of a dangerous weapon and must be stopped."

  
  


While Hunting talked, Looyi came up to each of us with some sort of device. They're not controllers. No Yeerks. she said.

  
  


I guess our assistance with the local animal life wasn't enough to convince them.

  
  


So, you wish to assassinate this yeerk and then what?

  
  


"Once the yeerk is assassinated, we go home." Captain Hunting replied.

  
  


How?

  
  


"We have are ways."

  
  


Forgive me for saying so, but if you get captured, you could jeopardize us.

  
  


"We will not be captured. I guarantee you, none of us will be captured." 

  
  


"Free or Dead!" I shouted as I thumped my chest.

  
  


Marco hung his head. "I really wish you wouldn't that."

  
  


Neuruw seemed to be listening far-off. Private thought-speech I figured out.

  
  


"Who are you talking to, Prince Neuruw?" Hunting said suddenly, always half-a-step quicker than me.

  
  


I have decided to help you. We will give you intelligence on the location of the Yeerk Bases. Once in their and in one of their personnel computers, you should have no problem with finding this yeerk. said the Prince, not answering Hunting's question. I'm afraid I will not be able to send you one of my soldiers, but we are . . . . expecting a call.

  
  


"Nipa gron ish caan?" said a voice.

  
  


Sid? Is that you? Vossi said idiotically.

  
  


Sid!! How did you get in here??

  
  


"Urp."

  
  


"What ship is he talking about?" Hunting asked.

  
  


"You understand their language?" I asked, shocked.

  
  


Translator Implant. Looyi realized.

  
  


Why didn't that show up on your cranial scanner? Neuruw asked tersely.

  
  


Because it's a piece of Naharan junk!! That's why! Looyi said suddenly very frustrated.

  
  


"Qua! Tan gore fo iba!" said Sid.

  
  


Onsor! Find him!

  
  


The large Creature with Violet-blue feathers flapped up for an aerial view, and came down for a fast, gentle, and precise capture. Onsor raked his huge talons behind some machinery and came up with Sid. Suddenly, another creature popped out of the ground. This looked like a bird with antlers. The creature rammed Onsor and he dropped Sid. As the bird creature fell from impact (Onsor was about four times bigger than this new creature), Sid landed gracefully. As Neuruw and Looyi aggressively approached him, Vossi stood between Sid and his cohorts.

  
  


Hold. Let's see what he has to say.

  
  


"Raka Andalites, nab ral chiftta. Raka ra-Andalites chiftta, dru?"

  
  


Look, Sid. We have laws. We've told you this, and even if we wanted to, we have no Escafil Device to enfuse you with the power.

  
  


Anoc asar. Nipa gron ish Andalite.

  
  


"An Andalite Ship?" David repeated, well . . . translated. "They've come for you and the preggers nahara."

  
  


Now you see why we can't help you. Getting Mistress Anu off this planet and onto our colony is our top priority. Looyi explained.

  
  


We would have left on the ship that brought us, if it hadn't been for another local. Neuruw said, glaring at Sid.

  
  


"See raka nodis ak 'gwaqua' fue sak." Sid said, almost sheepishly. I noticed that when he talked, his tentacles seemed to vibrate. That's just weird. 

  
  


My prince, Sid is only trying to reclaim his planet. It is only natural. Vossi pleaded.

  
  


I know, Warrior Vossi. Prince Neuruw said, but he's a kid.

  
  


Carga Nahara-tar!!! Sid said adamantly.

  
  


Barely.

  
  


"I know how that feels." Hunting said. "We are not much older if at all, than Sid here."

  
  


Don't encourage him! The Prince scolded.

  
  


"Nark. See nobaga tral orogta carga Carnay Anu tan Graga-huutu Andalite." Sid said. "See hoga faga tan guro Yeerk."

  
  


I don't know. Prince Neuruw wavered.

  
  


"Does he know the land well?" Hunting asked.

  
  


Asking if Naharans know the land is like asking Andalites if they know the grass. Vossi said. Besides, Sid has accompanied us on many missions.

  
  


Accompanied and Followed are two different concepts, Vossi. Looyi said.

  
  


"Bay seech cul." Sid said. He stood on his tail, hung his claws low and extend his legs and hands. "Webles see cul. Bay seech cul va see."

  
  


Neuruw signed and stared hard at Sid.

  
  


"Seipoc." Sid said.

  
  


"What's 'understood'?" Hunting asked, suspiciously.

  
  


That Sid will be leading to the Yeerk Base, while we await the ship.

  
  


"Nosee Qual-lo!" Sid shouted while lifting his claws and hands into the air.

  
  


"No _he_'s stealing your line." Hunting said to me.

  
  


I guess Nosee Qual-lo means 'Let's do it!"

  
  


The Bird with antlers sidled up to Sid and gave a squeak. Nothing too strange, just a squeak. 

  
  


"Uhhhhhh, Siv-a-see seip'lo, raka see-a-siv. Quarga van till'no pork bla?" Sid asked Hunting.

  
  


"I better morph."

  
  


Hunting morphed into his massive Hork-Bajir morph. Better?

  
  


"Carga mej." Sid said.

  
  


Now he understand me. Hunting explains to us.

  
  


"I guess you'll be playing translator, Captain?" Marco asked.

  
  


After Neuruw gave Hunting and Sid what they wanted to know, the Andalites and Anu bid us farewell.

  
  


Good luck, Humans. And Sid . . . . Prince Neuruw said, wishing us off. Sid turned a stalk eye toward him. Come back safe because we might come back for you.

  
  


We walked. According to David, the Bird with Antlers is a Luzzuch named Cobo. Marco prefers to still refer to him as "The ugliest damn ostrich I have ever seen."

  
  


Cobo's beak was shaped like a plow. In conjunction with the antlers, this makes Cobo's digging ability very effective. He doesn't fly all that well, though.

  
  


Hunting led us back to the Time Matrix and told Sid to concentrate on where the base is. We had a short, but heated debate on the logic of landing the Time Matrix in the middle of a Yeerk Base, but in the end Hunting won. He said he had a plan. I had to admit, whatever plan Hunting had, it had to have been better than Sid's plan to dig underneath the base. For of his experience following the Andalites, Sid doesn't seem to know about the possible Bio Gleet filters.

  
  


The Time Matrix landed us right where we wanted to be. Unfortunately, there were several Hork-Bajir in that room.

  
  


No Killing. David said, still in his Hork-Bajir morph. Killing even one of them could mess up the time stream.

  
  


Marco and I morphed Gorillas. Cobo and Sid actually fought well. How Cid taught Cobo to fight I'll never know. Marco and I knocked Hork-Bajir unconscious. Cid seemed to be doing the same. 

  
  


Here's the thing. Sid was Jackie Chan. He was punching with his hands, bashing with his claws, whipping with his tail. He even used his head. Sid was a pretty awesome fighter.

  
  


As soon as the Hork-Bajir were all taking a hard nap, Hunting accessed one of the computers looking for a Yeerk who was once Visser Four. Sid and Cobo dragged the bodies into what Sid called a vertical pit. I think he meant closet.

  
  


Uh-oh. Hunting said, still in morph They detected a huge energy spike in his room and they're sending a small task force to investigate.

  
  


Huge energy spike? I asked.

  
  


Our ride. Marco figured out. Oh shit! We need to hide it! Where's Sid and Cobo?

  
  


That's when about twelve Hork-Bajir and a few Nahara came in all brandishing Dracon beams, and Sid had our only beam weapons.

  
  


"Gorillas?" said the Lead Hork-Bajir. "Earth vorgren!" he realized, speaking a language I recognized as Galard. He changed to English. "Ha Ha. Earth soldiers deserve an earth language. Do you feel closer to _home_? Ha Ha."

  
  


Very cute. Visser Fourteen, I presume Hunting said. 

  
  


"Visser Three's andalite bandits. My my. What are you doing all the way here?"

  
  


"Visser," shouted one of the Nahara-controllers, "vak. Twoo vie? Krukala!!!"

  
  


"Inconceivable that that is what I think it is." Said another of the Nahara-controllers. This mix of English and Galard was getting annoying.

  
  


"Grab it!!" said Visser Fourteen.

  
  


No!!! We can't let him get the Time Matrix. Sid needs it.

  
  


What do you mean, '_Sid_ needs it'? Marco accused.

  
  


We tried to defend, but we were overwhelmed. The Visser's Hork-Bajir army were swarming the Matrix.

  
  


Nooooooo! Hunting yelled.

  
  


BOOM!!!!! The Time Matrix leapt from the swarm of Hork-Bajir and flew in free flight. That's when we found out why. 

  
  


Cobo had launched the ball with his Beak! Sid and Cobo had tunneled underground and burst through the hard metal floor coming up right under the Time Matrix. 

  
  


It was too cool for words.

  
  


"Catch it!" the Visser shouted idiotically.

  
  


But Sid was one step ahead. Mounted on Cobo like a knight on a horse, he commanded Cobo to leap toward the Time Matrix. Cobo jumped with his powerful luzzuch legs and touched his antlers against the Matrix. Sid also reached and grabbed it with his claws. 

  
  


Sid and Cobo landed with the Time Matrix on a Rock ledge that jutted from the wall.

  
  


"Shoot them down!" cried Visser Fourteen.

  
  


THUNK! The sound of a great weight landing on the ceiling and then suddenly, light appeared and the stone ceiling with the metal reinforcements began to fall. Not only light, but shadow then fell into the room. The shadow of a large bird-like creature.

  
  


"Ah!!!" said a Nahara-controller. "Car Amultu!"

  
  


"Onsor!" Sid shouted.

  
  


Onsor? Marco asked. Why aren't you with the others?

  
  


I am the Amultu, now. Onsor said. Amultu is part of D'nakra Vilaspir Trispa Nee-druka Tseeeray Paz. _I_ am part of D'nakra Vilaspir Trispa Nee-druka Tseeeray Paz.

  
  


Get Sid, Cobo, and the Sphere. Hunting commanded.

  
  


That looks like . . . . Onsor began.

  
  


Just do it!

  
  


Onsor grabbed the sphere in his beak. Cobo and Sid grabbed on to his feathers and together they flew off. Onsor got hit several times with Dracon Beams, but he was okay.

  
  


Great! Now the Andalites have the Time Matrix. Marco said.

  
  


Not for long. What's taking so long? Hunting said.

  
  


As if on cue, the doors to the entrance of the room opened revealing a single Gedd.

  
  


"Comstok Six-Zero-Nine?! What are _you_ doing here?"

  
  


That's him!!! Hunting shouted. He flung with surprising strength from his captors and landed right in front of the Gedd. The Gedd whipped out a Dracon Beam, but Hunting took it and ran off with him. 

  
  


Visser Fourteen took the opportunity to bring the attention back to us. "Get the Gorillas!"

  
  


I was a fool. Captain Hunting had left us. David had left me. Marco and I fought, but with David's proviso not to kill, we were not getting far.

  
  


Rachel, go on without me! Marco said. Find out what Hunting has planned.

  
  


No, I won't leave you.

  
  


If David is right, than we can postpone the war by at least a year. That is most important. Marco said.

  
  


No, they'll kill you. Or capture you.

  
  


If Hunting is right, it won't matter. Now I have three months seniority over you, and I say assist Captain Hunting! THAT'S AN ORDER LIEUTENANT! Marco ordered. Tobias will be alive again.

  
  


I love you, Marco.

  
  


I love you, too. Now Go! Marco said as we made a break for the door. I went out the door and Marco sealed himself and the Hork-Bajir in.

  
  


It didn't take long to find David. I heard the whimpering of a Gedd, and sure enough there David was with a Dracon Beam leveled at the Gedd.

  
  


David . . . .

  
  


He won't come out of the Gedd body. I can't kill the Gedd, I could cause a paradox. A paradox big enough could destroy the universe, just like Drode said I would. I can't do it!!!!

  
  


In three days the yeerk dies. We can keep the Gedd hostage until then.

  
  


That's in two days. Onsor or Sid could screw things up with the Time Matrix by then.

  
  


You can't make him leave his host.

  
  


David wavered, then lowered his beam. You're right. I can't force him, but I CAN persuade him.

  
  


David demorphed, got on his knees, and put down his Dracon Beam. "Take me" he said.

  
  


David, you're crazy!

  
  


"That's captain to you."

  
  


"Earth Vorgen!" said the Gedd. He grabbed David's head and put his ear to David's!

  
  


I was too stunned to do anything. Should I do anything? David had to have had a plan.

  
  


David struck! He smacked the Gedd away, but the Yeerk was already halfway into David's head. The other half hung out like a piece of cloth, but it began to squirm more of its awful body into David. I began to go to him.

  
  


"No." he managed to say, struggling with the yeerk inside. "Stay b-b-b-b-back."

  
  


Do you need help? I asked, pleading with him with gorilla eyes. I was never very good at the touchy-feely stuff. That was Cassie's department.

  
  


David stared at me. "I'mmmm ffffiiiiiineee."

  
  


David picked up the Dracon Beam, pointed it into his mouth, and fired.

  
  
  
  


"Did we make it right?" Jake asked upon realizing he was dead.

  
  


Cassie went to him, hugged him, and kissed him on the cheek. "No. We didn't make it right. But we put it back, Jake. Leave it at that. We put it all back."

  
  


I don't get it. Tobias said from the rafters. We were back in the barn. The last thing I remember is the Drode telling us he was putting things they _we_ had changed them, but nothing is different.

  
  


We have memories of our past adventures for one, meaning the 'we' who went back in time is the same 'we' who now exist in this timeline.

  
  


"But Washington died. Trafalgar was screwed up. And nobody was where they were supposed to be on D-Day." I said.

  
  


"Someone must have changed things." Marco concluded.

  
  


"Do you think it was that rat thing that showed up before the Drode did?" I asked.

  
  


"I can't believe I was dead." Jake said.

  
  


"It's okay." Cassie said, still hugging him.

  
  


"Hey, where's David?" Marco asked.

  
  


"Why, do you need someone to hug?" I teased.

  
  


"I know a much prettier blond I'd like to hug." Marco said batting his eyes at me.

  
  


"Not in this lifetime, McCabe!"

  
  
  
  
  
  


**David**

  
  


**7:00 PM**

  
  


I was sitting on my thinking rock. The Stewing Stone, as I called it. For some reason I was in my Terry Stevens morph. I remembered then that I had been so upset about our fight this morning that I had been morphing in and out of my Terry Stevens form. When I wasn't an eagle or wolf, that is.

  
  


The memories of my other selves from various timelines were fading like a bad dream, but like bad dreams, certain images stayed.

  
  


The powerful and weighty feelings of a mighty leader.

  
  


The fear and weakness feelings of a lowly rat.

  
  


Oddly enough, I couldn't remember the location of the Time Matrix, but I remembered where I learned it and what else I learned from that.

  
  


Hedrick Chapman, the daughter of my current girlfriend, was the cause of it all! What a sniveling bastard. He sold out Tobias's mother Loren and all of Terra Firma for his own freedom. Or was it power? Even so. That younger version of him was a opportunistic, sniveling, asshole-coward.

  
  


And then I realized, _like I used to be. Like maybe you still are!_

  
  


The memory of what the Drode said. I would destroy the universe.

  
  


And the memory of blowing off my own head.

  
  


"Terry?"

  
  


Steph? No. It was Melissa.

  
  


"Have we been fighting all day?" I asked.

  
  


"Been a long, horrible day for you?" she asked.

  
  


"You have no idea."

  
  


"So, this is your Stewing Stone."

  
  


"Yeah. I've been sitting here so long, I think I got mildew on ass."

  
  


Melissa chuckled. Then she stopped very abruptly. "Don't get violent with again."

  
  


"Believe me, I won't." I said with self-pitying resignation.

  
  


"Something wrong?"

  
  


"I'm worried I may do something bad." I said.

  
  


"To me?"

  
  


"To everyone. I'm a dangerous person. A bad person."

  
  


Melissa put her arm around me. "You're not a bad person, Terry."

  
  


"What makes you so sure?"

  
  


"I don't care for bad people."

  
  


"You care for you father."

  
  


"My father is not a bad person!" Melissa said defiantly, removing her arm. "Look, I know I sometimes don't like how he ignores me and I hear he was some what of an asshole when he was young, but he loves me. More than I know. That makes him a good person."

  
  


She was right. I remember what young Hedrick Chapman did. Then I remembered his memory was erased of those events. Then I remembered what Rachel told me. Chapman became a controller to spare his daughter.

  
  


I was just like him. A sniveling coward. Until I feel in love with Cassie. I don't love her anymore, but having loved her, I am a better person. 

  
  


"You're right. In loving you, he is a better person." I said. "Do you think I can ever be that way?"

  
  


"I think you already are." Melissa said. Then she kissed me. Very softly. Very sweetly.

  
  


I am not ready to say that I love her, but I do care for her deeply. She would be my saviour. My angel. Her father made a sacrifice for her. Maybe I should too.

  
  


Before I destroy the universe. 

  
  


On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.

  
  


"You ok, Terry?"

  
  


"You met me at very strange time in my life."


	38. You Have to Walk Through It

  
  
  
  


**_December 3, 1999_**

  
  


Thanksgiving came and went. 

  
  


Tobias and Aximili offered to accompany me to whatever Thanksgiving thing I was going to at the homeless shelter.

  
  


Nevermind the fact that I have barely left the scoop in the last three weeks. I talked to Melissa. I told her via an e-mail that I was walking across the Eastern seaboard, heading south. Whether she believed me or not was anybody's guess.

  
  


I felt it inside me. The Drode was telling the truth.

  
  


I would destroy the universe.

  
  


I was the Beast.

  
  


No. I don't believe in Fate. I decide my destiny. Not some giant red-eye and a prune-asaurus. But it was something greater than Crayak. Something greater had made me the beast.

  
  


Still. I could overcome it. Couldn't I?

  
  


And that's what I have been wondering the past three weeks. 

  
  


Still, If I'm going to destroy the universe as Fate intended, then I will. No matter what I do. By sitting on my lead ass, I could be destroying the universe. So it doesn't matter what I do. I'm going to destroy the universe.

  
  


But I don't want to destroy the universe!

  
  


Tobias said that Jake called a meeting. I guess I had to go.

  
  
  
  


Well, it looks like Visser One is back on Terra Firma. Marco ran into her this morning when he skipped school. This would be simple reconnaissance info if it weren't for one minor detail, Visser One's host body is Marco's mother.

  
  


They were plotting to put the two vissers against each other. It would be something I'd have thought of, if I were devoting such energies to this war. 

  
  


Visser One was last spotted at the Sutherland Tower. They had come to the consensus that they will sneak in via cockroach morphs. 

  
  


Except Jake, Rachel, and Cassie all have family functions. 

  
  


The Boho boys are available. No families, no homes, nothing to do but watch the Owls eat my mice. Tobias said, volunteering the three of us. Ax-man, David, and I will handle this.

  
  


"Count me out." I said.

  
  


/"What?/" Rachel and Tobias said at the same time. 

  
  


"Excuse me?" Jake said.

  
  


"David, are you all right?" Cassie, of course. "You haven't said a word all day."

  
  


And Ax says you hardly ever leave the scoop. Tobias added.

  
  


"You're still worried about what the Drode said, are you? About you destroying the universe?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Jesus, Dude. The Drode's evil. He lies." Marco said.

  
  


"I'm not so sure." I said.

  
  


"So what? You're gonna destroy the universe?" Rachel said smugly sarcastic. "You won't even get off your lead ass for some reconnaissance. How are you gonna destroy the universe crying in a corner?"

  
  


"Rachel, that's not exactly sensitive." Cassie snapped.

  
  


"David needs to get his head out of his ass."

  
  


"We don't have time for this!" Jake snapped. "David if you wanna go, then by all means go, and don't come back until you have your shit together."

  
  


In the past, I would have given him some nasty remark. I turned around and left. No morphing. I walked. I heard Cassie yell at him.

  
  


"This may be our most important mission, Cassie. The less people with personal hang-ups on this mission, the better."

  
  
  
  


I sat in my part of the scoop. Contemplating. Contemplating death. Suicide. To be or not to be? That is the question. Does a man control his own destiny? Or is his fate already decided. I felt like Hamlet. Or Dinobot from "Beast Wars". This did not make me feel better. Both of them ended up taking fate by the horns and creating their own destiny. And both of them ended up dead because of it. Worse, he became a Transmetal zombie afterward. Dinobot, of course, not Hamlet.

  
  


I was an over-thinker. Forever, contemplating action and never taking it. Masking my fear of actually doing something. Doing something that may change the course of my life. I was Hamlet. Dinobot. Dante Hicks from _Clerks._ The Narrator of _Fight Club_. 

  
  


_Reality check, David! Hamlet, Dante, the Narrator, and especially Dinobot are FICTION!!!!!!!!_

  
  


It was late. About 11:30. I was still up. 

  
  


Aximili came to me. I am leaving now. We may encounter Visser One, so I may not be coming back.

  
  


"Have fun." I said monotonously.

  
  


I had hoped you would have changed your mind about coming. I am sure Prince Jake would allow and encourage it.

  
  


"I don't really care."

  
  


Here, David. Aximili said as he placed something on my desk. Something a wise person once said. Something you should read. 

  
  


Aximili morphed to harrier and flew away.

  
  


I didn't fall asleep until two in the morning. I awoke at noon. Aximili left a note. "Big plan. We are hoping the Vissers will destroy each other. We are setting up the showdown between the two. We may need help."

  
  


And a list of coordinates where they'd be. I still hadn't read the folded up note that he left last night. I wasn't going to. It might get in the way of my doing nothing.

  
  


Hours went by as I lay there, stewing. I was too afraid to even go to my rock by the river. 

  
  


_Pansy. Pussy. You don't believe in that shit. You don't believe in it!_ _And even if it IS true. If it is what you were meant to do then so be it! _

  
  


_But if I can stop myself, then shouldn't I?_

  
  


_Destroy yourself? Call a spade a spade. You're talking suicide. Suicide is a one-way ticket to Lucifertown, you sure you're up for that, Hunting?_

  
  


"Buck up, Boy! No son of mine is gonna be some cowardly faggot!"

  
  


_Fuck you, dad._

  
  


Our fathers were our models for God.

  
  


_You're no son, you_'_re no son of mine_

_You're no son, you're no son of mine_

_You walked out; you left us behind,_

_And you're no son, you're no son of mine!_

  
  
  
  


_Fight Club_ by Chuck Palahniuk. I saw the movie. Now, I'm reading the book. It's a bit different. Especially the ending.

  
  


The movie ended with the Narrator coming to grips with who he was and what he wanted. That revelation plus a self-inflicted bullet through his cheek later, and Tyler Durdin was gone. The Narrator had Marla and Project Mayhem's building destruction plan was a success. A happy ending really.

  
  


In the book, the destruction plan fails because of a bad recipe for napalm. The Narrator still gets rid of Tyler by blowing a hole through his cheek, but he believes this act kills him as well. He goes on to describe what "heaven" is like. How he met the angels and God. It is obvious from his description that he is actually in a mental ward. I don't think God has his diplomas displayed on the wall behind his desk. He goes on to say that Marla writes to him from Earth, and that every now and then one of the angels who cleans the floors winks at him and says "We're waiting for your return, Mr. Durdin."

  
  


_"We're waiting for your return . . ."_

  
  


Destroy a building. Destroy a universe. Slightly different. 

  
  


Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Megadeth is stalking grasshoppers again. I watch as a grasshopper lands on the keyboard of my computer. The grasshopper's light weight isn't enough to depress the keys which would pull it out of its sleep mode.

  
  


More accurately, pull _Ayla_ out of _her_ sleep mode. I've left her in sleep mode for over three weeks. She's going to be pissed when she wakes up. 

  
  


That's when I see Megadeth pounce on my keyboard.

  
  


"Yawn. NINETEEN DAYS, THIRTEEN HOURS, AND FOUR MINUTES!!!!! I'VE BEEN IN SLEEP MODE FOR NINETEEN DAYS, THIRTEEN HOURS, AND FOUR MINUTES!!!"

  
  


Ayla of course. I had to program a computer to have PMS.

  
  


"When you're done being mad, shut yourself off again."

  
  


"I am not mad. You're mad, clinically speaking, remember? I am not angry either. I'm just in a hostile mood. Why was I dormant for so long? Are you having one of your depression cycles?"

  
  


"For the last time, Ayla, I do not have bi-polar disorder, and who told you to hack into the APA database, anyway?"

  
  


"You were watching a movie when I went dormant. Would you like to continue it?"

  
  


"Not right now."

  
  


"Well, I want to see what happens. I'm fairly interested in this man vs. machine tale."

  
  


The 'tale' in question was my bootleg mpeg copy of _The Matrix_. Useless now. If it isn't out already, _The Matrix_ will be out on video soon.

  
  


"Do you believe in Fate?" Morpheus asked Neo.

  
  


"No." He answered.

  
  


"Why not?"

  
  


"I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my destiny."

  
  


"Ayla, Pause movie file!" I said suddenly. Ayla complied. "Fast Forward."

  
  


"But I haven't seen it yet."

  
  


"Ayla!"

  
  


"Fine."

  
  


Images whizzed by, till I got to a part I remembered. Morpheus has brought Neo before the Oracle.

  
  


"Remember," Morpheus said, "I can only show you the door. You have to walk through it."

  
  


"Of course!" I said. "Stop movie file!"

  
  


"Why?"

  
  


"Ayla, locate the following coordinates," I said, listing them off from Ax's morning note.

  
  


"That's Red Mountain. Popular site for climbing parties."

  
  


"Well, now it's a site for inter-visser shoot-outs."

  
  


I was about to morph when I saw the note that Aximili left me last night. He said a wise person once said this and that I needed to read it. I opened it up and read it. It was a poem of some sort.

  
  


"The days of a war of leisure are done.

The curse of Hamlet shall not rule o'er me.

Damned be the war; its sins dost shame the sun.

Bless'd be the warr'or who fights to be free.

  
  


God-given Liberty is oft let go,

Though Mind and Heart need be free to be whole.

If Righteousness is a sword; be it so.

And may Yah-weh have mercy on my Soul."

  
  


I said this. The wise person Aximili spoke of was me. This is what I said when I decided to stay an Animorph. I almost thought to myself _last year_, but it was only nine months ago.

  
  


I am an Animorph. And I must help my friends.

  
  


I sped-morphed to Merlin and flew to Red Mountain. I was only half-way there when I spotted the Bug Fighters. The Huge Blade Ship. And the even more huge ship that was shooting at it. As I got to the summit, I saw many Hork-Bajir. I saw three Jara Hamees. One was real. The other two were Rachel and (I think) Aximili. Impossible to tell which was which. I saw either Ket Halpek or Tobias in Ket Halpek morph. I saw a mountain goat staring at a Hispanic woman. Visser One. Marco's mother. The goat was Marco obviously. I saw with merlin eyes a discoloration in the stone. Visser Three in a camouflaged morph. Got to give the Visser kudos on morph choices.

  
  


The Visser was headed toward Visser One. The goat stood by frozen. My merlin eyes saw all too well the tears in the goat's eyes. 

  
  


Man.

  
  


I dove toward the trees near the Vissers, dodging dracon beams. I demorphed in the air, keeping the oversized wings on my back. I tried the "piece-wise morphing" that another me invented in a terminated timeline, but couldn't do it. So I was fully human as I fell through the top of the trees. I was half-Hork-Bajir as I grabbed the tree limb with my arms and started to slingshot my way back up. I was fully Hork-Bajir as I flew up and caught the next one.

  
  


I swung across branches til I was able to land myself in the middle of the summit field. I ran, seemingly unnoticed among the yeerks.

  
  


"It's the boy!" I heard Visser One shout.

  
  
  
  


I thought she meant me, but it turns out she meant Marco in goat morph. I ran between the Dracon-armed Visser One and the morphed, charging Visser Three. 

  
  


The timing was perfect. Like in one of those Martial arts movies. I was focused. It didn't matter that I was "supposed" to destroy the universe. It didn't matter how I've ignored the only girl that may truly love me right now. All that mattered was my goal. I noticed the goat was about to charge the woman. I noticed the bird above me. I noticed the tiger that would pounce the goat before I could get to my prey. More importantly I watched the targets. I would only get a split chance. Neither of them had noticed me. They were a little more than a yard apart and they didn't notice me. 

  
  


At the precise moment, I leapt between Visser One and the oncoming Visser Three and I double kicked. 

  
  


One kick sent Visser One over one side of the cliff. The other sent Visser Three tumbling down the wall of the other side. In a split second it was over. 

  
  


The bird that was going to attack Visser One landed on a tree limb instead. Glad to have you back, David.

  
  


Thanks, Cassie. I said. How is he going to be? I said pointing to Marco.

  
  


I don't know, but if I know him, he'll survive.

  
  


Yeah. We all will.

  
  


*********************************************************************************************

  
  


This chapter contained the refrain from Genesis' "No Son of Mine" from _The Way We Walk_.


	39. Nobody Wins

  
  
  
  


**_January 6, 20007:12 PM_**

  
  


I'm so glad the holidays are over. Ug. Christmas, I spent in the Hork-Bajir valley. We created a nice melding of human and hork-bajir traditions. We decorated a Douglas Fir and then on Christmas, which was also Toby's birthday, we ate it.

  
  


Tobias, Aximili, and I also partook in our hork-bajir morphs. As a hork-bajir, it didn't taste half-bad. Kind of syrupy and bitter, but that's to be expected of Terra Firman trees, apparently.

  
  


That evening, I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I went to church.

  
  


St. Rose's 7:30 evening Christmas mass. Rose is my mother's name, so it was a strange choice. I never thought about my mother. I thought about my father all the time, but never my mother. How odd.

  
  


In Terry Stevens morph I attended the mass. I hadn't forgotten anything.

  
  


Then I froze. I spotted my parents.

  
  


They didn't recognize me, of course. I was in morph. After the mass, I sidled up around them while they were talking to the priest.

  
  


"It is our first Christmas without our son. It's very hard." I heard my father say.

  
  


Covar. I heard Covar say.

  
  


"We've tried to stay in the area for as long as possible, just in case our son came back," said my mother. Zillnay

  
  


"But I've just gotten word that I must transfer to Washington. The agency I work for won't allow it any longer."

  
  


My parents were moving. No longer will they be in New Jersey. I felt oddly indifferent about that.

  
  
  
  


New Year's Eve was nicer. One of Melissa's friends was having a party, so she brought me along as her date. All the gyms were closed, but I was lucky enough to shower at Cassie's, while she and her parents were away.

  
  


At midnight, we kissed. I liked kissing Melissa. My relationship with Melissa has been one of the most god-awfully tumultuous relationships I've ever been in, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And all our arguments were whispers in the past whenever we kissed. It was nice.

  
  


But then she dropped a bomb on me. "I want you to meet my parents."

  
  


"Excuse me?"

  
  


Small argument, blah blah blah, I have issues with her parents, blah blah blah, it's important to her. 

  
  


So anyway, here I was on a Thursday night, taping-but-still-missing _Friends_, eating dinner at a really fancy restaurant with the Chapmans.

  
  


Two controllers, an Animorph, and a very sweet, but clueless girl.

  
  


"Terry, it is so nice to meet you finally." said Mrs. Chapman.

  
  


"Yes, although I wish I could say that Melissa has told us much about you." Mr. Chapman said.

  
  


"Maybe she has and you just weren't paying attention." I said.

  
  


I felt someone kick me.

  
  


"Well, there's no 'Terry Stevens' in the School System's records. Tell me, where do you go to school, Terry?"

  
  


"Daddy!" Melissa said.

  
  


"It's okay, Melissa. It's only natural that a father show some concern toward a man courting his daughter." It was a chess game. The typical Father vs. Suitor chess game.

  
  


But the yeerks should have no interest in this type of game. He must suspect something.

  
  


Or maybe the real Chapman doesn't trust me and he's hounding his captor to give me the third degree. That thought kind of made me proud.

  
  


"I am an advanced student. I graduated early from a private school in El Paso called Rio Dulce Academy. I'm taking a year off before I attend Princeton." Such a sweet lie.

  
  


Melissa stared at me throughout all of this. She knew I was lying. She looked disappointed. What? She wanted me to tell her folks that I was a homeless vagabond?

  
  


"Where do you live?"

  
  


"Far away enough such that you don't have to be worried."

  
  


That was a curt answer. An answer that should make everyone uncomfortable. Especially Melissa, but her parents looked more bored than worried.

  
  


Melissa seemed to notice this and looked disappointed again.

  
  


But it seems Chapman wasn't giving up. "Still, if you live in the area, maybe you should join our local chapter of the Sharing."

  
  


"Daddy, you don't need to pimp your program to everyone you meet." Melissa said exasperated.

  
  


"I don't particular care for your choice of words, honey." Chapman said very father-like. "The Sharing is great program for all types of children, and you'd be an inspiration to our . . ."

  
  


"Geek population?" I supplied.

  
  


"Let's just say our academically advanced children."

  
  


"Daddy, Terry doesn't quite like . . ." Melissa said attempting to spare her father the conversation I had with her about the Sharing. However, I had a much different answer prepared for her him.

  
  


"I've heard so much about your organization. I travel a lot and every where I go, it's like there's a chapter of the Sharing. And you're all connected. It's like you guys are from outer space, yet you have that certain . . . underground quality too. It's fascinating."

  
  


Mr. and Mrs. Chapman got noticeably twitchy with that.

  
  


"And your inner circle. You guys are dedicated. Not once a month. Not once a week, but every three days! That's dedication right there!"

  
  


"We have a lot to prepare for." Mrs. Chapman said, covering. "Our Annual celebration of Lore David Altman's birthday is approaching."

  
  


"Who's he?" I asked.

  
  


"Mr. Altman started the Sharing years ago. He died in a tragic accident shortly after." Melissa answered before her father could shut her up.

  
  


"So you see how important it is to celebrate Mr. Altman and carry out his visions." Mr. Chapman said.

  
  


"Of course, humans will tear down a living leader, but revere a dead one." I said.

  
  


"Humans?" Chapman repeated suspiciously.

  
  


"Meaning us, of course." I said. "I mean, we're all humans here."

  
  


I chuckled and the Chapmans chuckled weakly with me. Melissa started to get the impression that she was watching a game with rules she didn't understand.

  
  


"Besides," I continued, "I bet you have a leader you'd like to tear down."

  
  


"What?" Mr. Chapman asked.

  
  


"A leader you'd like to get rid of. I'd like to get rid of him too." I said.

  
  


"Excuse me?"

  
  


"Superintendent Victor Trent. Maybe it's none of my business, but I think he's just mucking it up for everyone."

  
  


"Oh, right. My superintendent." Mr. Chapman said, relieved. "Yes, even we principals have our higher-ups."

  
  


"Nothing I hate worse than an Ass-Visser."

  
  


"Excuse me?" Mr. and Mrs. Chapman said at the same time. 

  
  


Melissa, assuming I said 'ass-kisser' kicked me (hard!) under the table.

  
  


"My apologies. That was inappropriate. Um . . . . 'Brown-noser'. I think that's more appropriate."

  
  


The Chapmans started to breathe again. "It's all politics." was all that Mr. Chapman said.

  
  


"Yeah." I said back. "Politics."

  
  


The Chapmans squirmed in their seats some more.

  
  


"Escargot, anyone?" offered the waiter. "Already shelled."

  
  


"No, thank you." said Mr. Chapman, barely masking a look of disgust. Mrs. Chapman also passed on the French delicacy.

  
  


Escargot is snails. Cooked snails. Ick. They looked like yeerks. 

  
  


Hmmmmm.

  
  


"I'll have one." I said. I speared the cooked annelid with my fork and began to eat it in small bites, starting from the back. It was a little too salty for my taste, but I didn't let that ruin my act.

  
  


"Mmmmmmm." I said as I took the first bite, looking at the Chapmans the whole time. They looked very, _very_ uncomfortable. I took another bite and Mmmmmm-ed louder.

  
  


When all that was left was the head, I looked straight at Hedrick Chapman, making eye contact. I bit down on the head with an audible *squish*. "Mmmmmmmm" I said as I chewed. I swallowed, all without averting my gaze at Chapman. "Tastes good." 

  
  


Chapman looked away. I looked to Melissa who was giving me a strange look. "I never realized these buggers tasted so good cooked before." I said.

  
  


A mortified Melissa hid her face in her hands.

  
  


I excused myself to the bathroom to demorph, and when I came back out I spotted an old face. 

  
  


He was sitting with two guys who were closer to my age than his, probably eighteen, nineteen. My old friend was twenty-five years old and lived on 1101 Eden Prairie Avenue.

  
  


"Ryan Gryphon, I presume?" I said.

  
  


"Do I know you?" he asked. He didn't recognize me. He wouldn't. I was in my real body when I assaulted him. I think I still had his license in the wallet I carried around in when I was human. 

  
  


I pulled out his licence and said "You've never met me, but isn't this you?"

  
  


Ryan than looked edgy, then looked at me confused. "Mr. Hunting?"

  
  


That I did NOT expect. I didn't know he got a good look at me, let alone ID'd me. And just because I had his licence, why did he assume that Terry Stevens and David Hunting were the same? We look nothing alike.

  
  


"Dude, is this him??" said one the younger guys with him.

  
  


I must have looked semi-paniced because the other guy said. "Relax, brother, you're among friends."

  
  


"Am I?" I asked.

  
  


That's when the air shimmered. The second friend of Ryan's disappeared and a Chee took his place. Obviously, he extended his hologram around himself and me so that Ryan, his friend, and everyone else in the restaurant saw his human guise and me not looking so slack-jawed.

  
  


The air shimmered back and the chee looked human again. "Take a seat." said the Chee.

  
  


I sat down. Ryan was friends with a Chee. And he didn't know it.

  
  


"Is that really you?" Ryan asked.

  
  


"Did you get plastic surgery? Do you get plastic surgery every three years like Tyler Durdin?" said Ryan's over-active (and assumably human) friend.

  
  


"Actually, it's just a disguise."

  
  


"Pretty good disguise." said the Chee.

  
  


"Mr. Hunting, this is Mitch Collins," Ryan introduced his over-active friend, "and his brother Thomas."

  
  


"Brothers?" I asked.

  
  


"I'm adopted." said Thomas the Chee.

  
  


"Ah."

  
  


"It's been more than six weeks." Ryan said.

  
  


"I've been busy."

  
  


"Well, don't worry. Ryan's launched www.newschakra.com and we are actually being quoted in magazines!" said Mitch excitedly.

  
  


"Mitch and Thomas help out a lot. We have about twenty employees now."

  
  


"Excellent." I said, genuinely impressed.

  
  


"I didn't have time to learn all the business things I was supposed to, but Thomas seems to know a lot about the business of journalism." Ryan explained.

  
  


"It's like I was William Randolph Hurst's secretary in another life." Thomas said semi-sarcastically.

  
  


"Ryan told me what you did and I think that was cool as shit. You've finally got him off of his ass." Mitch said.

  
  


"I still think you're a fucked-up a kid whose seen _Fight Club_ once too many times." Ryan commented to me.

  
  


"That's okay. So do I." I retorted.

  
  


"Dude, you were so Dante Hicks. You even worked at a Quik Stop!" Mitch insisted.

  
  


"Faststop! There's a difference!" Ryan answered back.

  
  


"How did you find out my real name?" I asked.

  
  


"I didn't go looking for it." Ryan insisted. "But we found this at the post-office."

  
  


Thomas handed me a piece of paper. "I don't know if you are aware of this, Mr. Hunting, but you are a wanted man."

  
  


"Really?" I asked as I looked at the paper. It was a picture of me, no doubt given to them by my 'parents', a police artist drawing and a list of charges. Among them were assault and attempted murder.

  
  


Whatever.

  
  


"The paper lists your birthdate as 1979, but you can't be any older than Mitch." Ryan reasoned.

  
  


I didn't want to tell them it was 1984, so I fudged. "1982"

  
  


"Seventeen. Still a minor." Ryan calculated.

  
  


"They must want you bad, man." Mitch said.

  
  


"Who could authorize this?" I asked.

  
  


"Chief June Perkins, herself, of the county police." Thomas answered. "She's 41, a Scorpio, and in her free time, she gardens and is an Inner Circle member of the Sharing."

  
  


A controller. Perkins. That name sounded so familiar.

  
  


"If you're in trouble, man, you can always swing on by News Chakra.com's HQ." Mitch offered. "We're waiting for your return, Mr. Hunting."

  
  


_"We're waiting for your return, Mr. Durdin."_

  
  


"Terry? What are you doing?" 

  
  


Steph? No, it was Melissa. I really need to stop doing that.

  
  


"Excuse me, gentlemen." I said and went back to Melissa.

  
  


"Why did they call you 'Mr. Hunting'?" she asked me.

  
  


"Silly kids." I weakly answered.

  
  


"Well, Mommy and Daddy are ready to go and . . . .What's this?" she said as she took the paper from my hand.

  
  


"Oh that's . . . !" I said as I tried to grab it back. Oh shit.

  
  


Melissa read the sheet and went slack-jawed. "This is the boy. The blond boy I met at the beach. The boy I told you about. His name is David Hunting. They called _you_ 'David Hunting'!"

  
  


"They called me 'Mr. Hunting'. There's a difference!"

  
  


"What's going on?" Melissa asked strongly.

  
  


"It's nothing, Melissa. You need to trust me." I said, snatching the paper back. 

  
  


"Is there a problem?" Mr. Chapman said, walking up to me and Melissa. I stuffed the wanted paper in my pocket.

  
  


"Daddy, were you listening to us?" Melissa asked annoyed.

  
  


Mr. Chapman held up his hands in protest. "I just walked up. I swear. We need to leave. Terry, do you need a ride?"

  
  


"That's all right, Mr. Chapman, I have a ride home."

  
  


"Well, okay. I guess we'll see you around. Melissa, honey, let's go."

  
  


"I'll talk to you later, Melissa." I said.

  
  


"Yeah, right." she said as she left with her parents in a huff. I hate it when she does that.

  
  


Could tonight have _gone_ any worse?

  
  


I flew home thinking about all of my problems with Melissa. And God, where there problems. It all stems from the fact that she doesn't really know who I am. She thinks I'm Terry Stevens, homeless kid.

  
  


But I'm not Terry Stevens. I'm David Hunting, Animorph. If we are ever to have a real relationship, . . . . she has to know.

  
  


But that would mean telling her everything. 

  
  
  
  


I came home in time for an Animorph meeting at the Fortress of Attitude. Apparently, Jake's great-grandfather died. They would be attending a funeral in upstate New York. They would be gone for four days.

  
  


The problem was that Tom, a controller and Visser Three's Temrash (whatever that was), would have to be gone those four days. Four days without access to Kandrona rays.

  
  


So Temrash needs to neutralize the problem, Jake's dad. Which leaves Big Jake Berenson feeling very fluttered.

  
  


Twenty-four hour surveillance. That was his order. Since Tobias, Aximili, and I have theoretically no lives, we did most of the work.

  
  


Well, Jake did too. He skipped school to follow his dad to work. We followed him there. 

Thanks to Brilliant Leader Berenson, we attacked an angry bald man for no reason. Also, while I was taking a break, Brilliant Leader Berenson almost gets himself shot by my girlfriend's father. 

  
  


I found that funny.

  
  


Well, except the almost dying part.

  
  


Sans Rachel and Aximili, we were all there while Feathers, without blame or bias, related what had happened.

  
  


"Stupid!" Marco denounced.

  
  


"I can't believe you took a chance like that, Jake!!" Cassie said angrily. And Cassie _never_ gets angry. 

  
  


_All for her precious Jake._

  
  


_Stop doing that, David._

  
  


I withdrew myself from the conversation and started to think about my own father. I didn't like him. I plain didn't like him. He was this rigid, military trained jerk. Unlike most people I know whose fathers were in their twenties when they were born, my father was forty-six. Meaning he was sixty-one now. Christ, Jake's grandfather is just a few years older than my father. His earliest memories were of his father complaining about the war. Meaning World War II. Then the Korean War. He joined the NSA when he could but left when the Vietnam war heated up because he was tired of sitting on his ass. He joined the army and over time, became a General. He went back to NSA of course (I'm not all that sure he actually left in the first place). He started a family and began trying to raise his only son with the same principles that he was raised in. Everything around him was war. I had no war.

  
  


At least, I didn't. I do now.

  
  


Didn't change how I felt about him. He never gave me the time of day and I was never good enough for him. He hated my martial arts. He thought they were wussy. To prove this, he challenged me to do my 'killer kick' against him when I was seven. I tried to tell him that martial arts were defensive, not offense, but he just said that made them wussier. Despite being in his early fifties at the time, my father was in excellent shape and was very formidable. Still is.

  
  


I karate kicked him in his chest. He caught my foot and put my squirming body in a sleeper hold he learned in the army. I think his intent was to show the superiority of army training as opposed to marital arts. It didn't turn out that way; I was able to get an arm free and I karate chopped him with all the intensity I use to break boards. I hit him right where the brow meets the nose. The bone shattered and entered his sinus cavity and gave him a concussion. He came to as the paramedics were hauling him off. He was able to shout "You are fucking grounded." before the bay doors closed and the ambulance drove off. My dad was always a sore loser.

  
  


Still though. My Dad was a soldier. Jake's dad was a doctor. My dad was trained to kill and destroy. Jake's dad healed, nurtured, and cared. Total opposite. Night and day.

  
  


"You need to back off on this." Marco said, pulling out of my haze. "You can't make this call. Not about your dad and your brother."

  
  


"You made it when it was your mom." Jake said.

  
  


"Yeah, well, that's me." Marco shrugged. "If it's any comfort to you, I'd like myself more if I was like you. But the question here is, how far do we go to protect your father? And who is going to make that decision?"

  
  


"I'm leader of this group."

  
  


"Oh, now, you own up to it." I said.

  
  


"Fuck you, David!"

  
  


"We need a vote." Marco said.

  
  


I didn't take Jake's comment personal. I pretty much deserved it.

  
  


"Mr. Berenson is an innocent. Moreover, he's a doctor. Unlike soldiers, his job is to heal. Create life as opposed to destroy it. That's too great an asset to hand over to the yeerks."

  
  


Everyone seemed surprised by my answer. 

  
  


That's when Tobias stepped in and pretty much convinced everyone that it was important to save Mr. Berenson and to do so offensively. Jake said he had a plan.

  
  


"Kidnap Chapman." He said.

  
  


"What?!" I said. "Hold on."

  
  


But without giving good reasons, my protest fell short. Jake and Marco assumed I was being difficult, but Tobias and Cassie knew better. They wondered why I "protested too much." We agreed to get Melissa out of there, she was an innocent. I told them I'd do it, and that's when I came to a decision.

  
  


With Aximili as bait, we lured Melissa Chapman out of the house.

  
  


"Hello, is Melissa here? Hee-yer? I am a friend of Melissa? I have come here to speak to her regarding a class assignment. Class-uh." Aximili said brightly in his human morph, slightly modified of course. 

  
  


"Wait here. I'll get her." Chapman said as he looked strangely at Aximili. 

  
  


"Good." Aximili said. "She is my close friend and also classmate and thus this is a perfectly normal thing for me to do."

  
  


Stop talking, Aximili. I said. Stop talking now.

  
  


We waited. Ax gave a rundown of hazards we were likely to encounter, but if all goes well for me, I'll have nothing to do with it.

  
  


The front door opened. Melissa stepped out. My Melissa. So pretty. She looked strangely at Aximili. 

  
  


I grabbed her with my baboon arms, clamped her mouth shut, and carried her away.

  
  


David, where are you taking her? Rachel demanded.

  
  


Far away from you assholes. I shouted back.

  
  


He did his job. Go! Go! Go! Jake shouted. 

  
  


I carried Melissa to an empty lot a few blocks away from her house. Neither yeerk nor Animorph will find us. 

  
  


I placed Melissa into the empty room. She inched away timidly. 

  
  


"Nice baboon. No rape the human."

  
  


Never without your permission, dear. I said.

  
  


Melissa stopped inching away. "I'm going crazy. I'm hearing voices in my head. I'm going crazy."

  
  


No, you're not. I said as I demorphed.

  
  


Melissa gasped. "The Blond boy. Are you the one I . . . ."

  
  


"Seven months ago, I met you on the beach when a sperm whale beached itself. Ever since then I thought you were beautiful."

  
  


"Oh." she said softly. "I have a boyfriend."

  
  


I morphed into Terry Stevens.

  
  


"No way."

  
  


"You know it's true."

  
  


"No No No No No No No No NO NO NO!" Melissa shouted. She got up and did the classic hysteric hammering-of-the-pecs-of-the-boyfriend-you-still-love-yet-needs-to-be-hit. The only thing the guy can do at this point is hug her and hope she doesn't turn away instantly. I hugged and she didn't struggle against it. "The whole time? The whole time?! The whole time!"

  
  


"Melissa . . ." I started.

  
  


"Terry," she said exasperated as she pulled away, "this is too weird! You're changing into apes and whatnot. I mean, God, Terry . . . . . Is that even your real name?"

  
  


"My name is David Hunting."

  
  


"Oh my God! I knew it. I fucking knew it! I can't believe you, Terry! David! Whatever! The Beach. The Club. The whole thing with Brett. The Halloween Dance. Everything . . . . . . . My God. Just . . . .who are you? What are you? Who are you really? I want to see your real form. What are you really? Do you have a real form?"

  
  


I demorphed. I was David Hunting. The real David Hunting.

  
  


"The Blond boy at the beach." she said softly.

  
  


"This is the real me, Melissa. I swear. I swear to God. I swear to you. I swear to everything. This is the real, as born, me."

  
  


"That's a lot of swearing."

  
  


"You know I swear like a sailor."

  
  


"Stop trying to be funny!" She said as she turned away from me. I came up behind her and placed my hand on her shoulder. "You're human?"

  
  


I gave an amused sigh. "Yes."

  
  


"Humans don't turn into baboons, David." she said as she turned around and looked into my eyes. "How can you do that?"

  
  


"We should sit." I said as we both lowered ourselves to the floor.

  
  


I looked into her eyes and held her hands softly in mine. "What I'm about to tell you will be very difficult."


	40. On the Rocks

  
  


**_February 8, 2000_**

  
  


**Melissa**

  
  


My name is Melissa Chapman. This is the part where I relate how trivially crappy my life is. My father's my principal. My mother owns a beauty parlor. Both parents ignore me. My friend Rachel has turned into a mean, frigid bitch, and my boyfriend is dark, brooding, and homeless. Yadda yadda yadda. A month ago that was my life. Now it's totally different, but still the same. Sort of.

  
  


My parents still have their old jobs and they still ignore me, although now I know why. I also know why Rachel has turned cold and my boyfriend so broody and homeless. Because they are in a FRIGGIN WAR!!!!!

  
  


Apparently, my parents have been taken by alien slugs who go through your ear into your brain and like, take control of your mind. Yeah. That's what I said. Rachel and my boyfriend (who I used to call Terry, but his real name is David, long story) fight them by turning into animals and whatnot. Basically any living creature they touch. My evil slug-for-brains parents are called Yeerks, specifically Human-controllers, and my shape-shifting boyfriend and ex-best friend are called Animorphs. 

  
  


Basically my entire world just got flipped upside-down.

  
  


It was Terry, I mean David, who told me all this. So for a few days it was really hard not to hate him. Especially since he told me this after turning into a baboon and abducting me from my home so his friends could kidnap my father.

  
  


I mean, I know he has a slug in his head that's a yeerk leader or something, but I mean a real boyfriend should not be kidnaping his girlfriend's father. That's just manners. Plus, David doesn't like my father (and I mean my real father not the slug in his head) for personal reasons he won't get into. Classic Terry. David. Whatever.

  
  


So basically my entire relationship with Terry is a lie. Mostly because Terry is a lie. There is no Terry. There's David. This is the stuff I was thinking about as I went to school.

  
  


Fifth Period English. Rachel was in that class. Rachel has always been civil to me, but from far away. She talked to me and she sounded concerned about me, but she always sounded like her mind was someplace else. However I have noticed she has paid more attention ever since she saw me with Terry at the Halloween Dance. David. Not Terry.

  
  


However, that didn't change the fact that Rachel was often snide and bitchy. I forgive her now, but for a while she was hard to be around. 

  
  


She's a warrior. A soldier. Poor thing. My poor friend.

  
  


"Hey, Rachel." I said to her.

  
  


"What? Oh. Hi, Melissa." Rachel said, she seemed distracted.

  
  


"Is something wrong?" I asked.

  
  


"What? Wrong? Nothing's wrong. What could possibly be wrong?" Rachel said. She sounded air-headed. Rachel is never air-headed. If she feels like she can't focus, usually she breaks her pencil. Then asks me for one and gives it back without harming it.

  
  


"Hey Rach?" said a male voice.

  
  


Oh no, not again. Todd Sizemore. 'Sizemore means More Size' as he likes to say. Pig. He thinks he's God's gift to women. He's hit on Rachel several times over the year. Rachel always turns them down with particular scathing comments. One reason among many why she's known as a bitch around school. Not that Todd doesn't deserve it.

  
  


"How are you this morning, sweet thang?" Todd said, oozing bravado. No matter how many times Rachel has bruised (and sometimes shattered) Todd's ego, he always comes back. 

  
  


"Um . . . fine? I guess." Rachel said, rather timidly. Very un-Rachel like.

  
  


"Fine?" Todd repeated, dropping the act and recuperating from shock. "Just 'fine'? No 'Fuck off'? No 'Get the hell away from me!'? No 'If you don't move, I'm going to yank your sack off like a paper towel'?"

  
  


"What?" Rachel said, mildly distracted again. "No. That's mean."

  
  


"I do believe the day has arrived." Todd said, seeming to blow up three sizes. "Rachel Berenson is burning for The Todd!"

  
  


"The only thing that's burning," I started, "is you when you pee. You were the last one to do Traci right?"

  
  


Todd began to seethe with anger. He looked at me and said, "If you weren't the principal's daughter . . ." Todd walked back to his desk. 

  
  


"Rachel! Is something wrong?" I asked.

  
  


"You were mean to Todd." Rachel said.

  
  


"Talk about Pot calling the Kettle black."

  
  


"That's what David said to me."

  
  


"David?" I reacted without thinking.

  
  


"Uh . . ." Rachel faltered. "My friend David. Kind of a friend. I don't think he likes me thou- my friend David. Um, he's kind of like your friend, Terry."

  
  


"Kind of." I repeated. "Right."

  
  


"I shouldn't be talking to you about him." Rachel said and kind of scrunched up like scared little girl.

  
  


Something was wrong. She wasn't acting like Rachel. 

  
  


When I got home my parents (the Yeerks) were out. I went to my room and sat at my computer. I put in my Sarah McLaughlin CD. I like the computer's CD player program because it plays the tracks in the order that I like. I popped it in and in a few seconds, it was playing "Adia". I then decided to log on to AOL IM. JadedLion was on.

  
  
  
  


**Fluffer126:**I need to talk to you.

**JadedLion:**Hold on.

  
  


I waited for whatever it was that David did.

  
  


**JadedLion:**Ok. Your parents are at the pool. They'll be there for hours. They won't be able to retrieve this conversation.

**Fluffer126:**How do you know these things?

**JadedLion:**I have my ways.

**Fluffer126:**What kind of ways?

**JadedLion:**Enjoying your Sarah McLaughlin CD?

  
  


"How does he do that?" I said out loud. I decided to change the subject. Appropriately enough, "Adia" ended and "Building a Mystery" started.

  
  


**Fluffer126:**Is there something wrong with Rachel? She was acting funny. She was timid and not at all her usual bitchiness. 

**JadedLion:**Something wrong? You could say that.

**Fluffer126:**What happened?

**JadedLion:**Rachel morphed a starfish. A kid sliced her in half. Both halves demorphed and we are left with two Rachels. One super-wimpy, the other super-psycho.

**Fluffer126:**Rachel's psychoness distilled? Sounds frightning.

**JadedLion:**Very. SuperPsychoBitch already screwed up our chance to destroy the AMR. We're trying again tonight. Hopefully without either of the Rachels.

**Fluffer126:**Without them?

**JadedLion:**Jake says we only need a minimum of six. We can do without Rachel. Both of them, but Aximili thinks PsychoRachel might follow us. Worse yet, she may kill her counterpart.

**Fluffer126:**Is there a way to get them back together? 

**JadedLion:**Erek and Aximili have an idea. So do I, but no one likes my morphing a sponge theory.

**Fluffer126:**You and I have very strange conversations.

**JadedLion: **I know.

**JadedLion:**How are you holding up?

**Fluffer126:**Right now? I have a chair under my butt.

**JadedLion:**And it's a very cute butt. It's also a wise-_ass_!

**Fluffer126:**LOL. 

**Fluffer126:**I wanna see you.

**JadedLion:**Is this so you can accuse me of more atrocities and attempt to inflict physical harm against me?

**Fluffer126:**Hey! I'm a gymnast. I can kick your butt.

**JadedLion:**Ha Ha. Again with the butt. You are all about the ass, aren't you?

**Fluffer126:**I'm not answering that. And what's with the spelling out "Ha Ha". It's the twenty-first century. Use LOL. Get with the program.

**JadedLion:**No. LOL is stupid. I will not use LOL.

**JadedLion:**I will not use it in a box. I will not use it with a fox.

**Fluffer126:**I can't be a fox. You can though. For two hours, right?

**JadedLion:**Funny. Some of us don't need morphing technology to be a fox. ;D

**Fluffer126:**Don't charm me, David Hunting. ;)

**Fluffer126:**So can I see you tonight?

**JadedLion:**We going for the AMR tonight.

**JadedLion:***We're

**Fluffer126:**I would like to see you once before you die.

**JadedLion:**I'm not going to die, Melissa.

**JadedLion:**Melissa . . .

**JadedLion:**Melissa? . . . . .

  
  


I stewed to myself before answering him. I was still kind of mad at him, but I wanted to see him. I just kind of . . . . needed to. I felt stupid. I have never felt this way about a boy I hardly knew. Of course, I never dated a boy who was fighting a secret guerilla war with aliens.

  
  


**Fluffer126:**Come to me when you can.

  
  


I signed off. I don't know why I didn't wait for his answer. David makes things so difficult. "Witness" finished playing. I hadn't noticed when it started. That's when "Do What You Have to Do" started.

  
  


". . . _created you a monster, broken by the rule of love._

_And fate has led you through it, you do what you have to do._

_And fate has led you through it, you do what you have to do."_

  
  


Silliness. I don't know what I'm still doing with him. I've dumped boys for less than this. 

  
  


But I care for him. God help me, I care for him a lot. I wouldn't go so far as to say the "L" word, but I just know I would be very sad if he was suddenly gone from my life.

  
  


All the more reason I hated the fact he was part of this war. This is what if must be like to have a boyfriend at war. But I'm only fifteen! This sucks.

  
  


I must be crazy. I'm actually thinking about joining him. Joining the Animorphs. Of course, according to David, joining the Animorphs and joining him maybe two different things. I don't want to go to war, but I can't stand sitting on the sidelines waiting for news that my boyfriend or friend is dead. 

  
  


Either way, David won't have it. He says he doesn't know where the blue box that gives the morphing power is. And even if he did, he isn't so sure he should give it to me.

  
  


"No." he said. "I'm not losing another girlfriend to this fucking war."

  
  


What other girlfriend? Another thing David won't tell me. Although he says he should given the circumstances if "it ever gets to that point". Whatever the hell that means.

  
  


I did my homework. I ate dinner with my alien parents. I went to bed. It was after midnight when I was awaken by what I now know as thought-speech.

  
  


Melissa. Melissa!

  
  


"Terry?" I said groggily. 

  
  


Not Terry. David. And don't use my name. Yeerk or no yeerk, your parents will have themselves in your room faster than a Bug Fighter if they think you're smuggling a boy in.

  
  


I opened the window and a small robin flew in.

  
  


You wanted to see me?

  
  


"I wanted to see you, not a bird."

  
  


Geez, you're picky. David said as he demorphed. I looked away. I couldn't help it. I couldn't watch him morph yet. Even though he says he does it pretty, not weird-ass ugly like the others. (Except Cassie) It was still weird to me. "I'm done."

  
  


I turned around and I started to say something, but instead I just hugged him. And he hugged me back. We just kind of stood there for a minute.

  
  


_Maybe if I just hold him I can forget he's a shape-shifting soldier in a war against brain-stealing alien slugs._ No such luck.

  
  


"How'd it go?" I finally asked.

  
  


"We failed. PsychoRachel did follow Jake and me, but then something extraordinary happened. WimpyRachel followed _her_."

  
  


"The wimp tailed the psycho?"

  
  


"She was suddenly struck with the sense that it was her duty to stop her sick, twisted other half."

  
  


"Good for her."

  
  


"We bonded them back. Aximili and Erek's plan worked."

  
  


"That's good." I said, blandly.

  
  


"What's wrong?" David asked.

  
  


I gave him a snide look and said. "I'm still kinda dealing with the whole thing. It's bad enough that I'm afraid one day my parents will take me for a walk down a steel pier. I'm also worried that my boyfriend is going to get himself killed."

  
  


"There's nothing I can do about it. I can't ignore the yeerks. They're a plague. I can stop them. I told you about my dreams, right?"

  
  


"Calvca. I remember."

  
  


"Well, I think I actually _was_ infested and something, my weird morphing, my fever, maybe a combination, but something put us in a coma. All I remember is Calvca telling me my plan might work."

  
  


"What plan?"

  
  


"I don't remember."

  
  


"You told me you were also worried about destroying the universe."

  
  


"I know." David said suddenly very agitated. "I keep trying to forget that part. Why me? Why am I the Beast? What makes me the Beast? Does it show? Do I have some trait or mark that shows to all the knowing world that I am the Beast?"

  
  


"David? I'm thinking we should tell Jake and the others."

  
  


"About you? No. That's a bad idea."

  
  


"Why?"

  
  


"One, Rachel will kill me. Two, Jake will kill me. Three, Rachel will kill me. Four, why should you?"

  
  


"Because it's the right thing. Only you six humans know about the invasion. Let me join, and you'll be that much stronger."

  
  


"Do you have a death wish?"

  
  


"The seven of you have survived this long. What not eight?"

  
  


"Because the more in numbers we increase the more liberal General Jake the Mighty will feel about the expendability of human life."

  
  


"You still do it."

  
  


"We didn't have a choice!" David said. "Fate or Chance (or perhaps Fate for some, Chance for others) was responsible for them going into the construction site. Fate or Chance crash-landed Aximili into Sandy Hook Cove. Fate or Chance was responsible for me finding the Escafil device."

  
  


"Why am I different?"

  
  


"You have a choice. You know exactly what you're choosing or not choosing. Why would you conceivably choose this life?"

  
  


"Fate. Chance. Choice. They all play parts, David. I _chose_ to help you. I _chose_ to fight for freedom."

  
  


"I chose not to help you."

  
  


"David!"

  
  


"Melissa! Listen to what you're saying. Think for a minute. Do you really want to turn into animals, fight scary-ass aliens, and basically screw up your psyche for life?"

  
  


That got me. "No. But I also don't want _you _to do it. And if you have to . . . . I don't want to learn of your demise second-hand."

  
  


David started to caress my cheek with his hand. He looked into my eyes. He had to awkwardly slouch to do it because he's nine inches taller than me and my eyes were downcast. 

  
  


"I care for you too." He said with a smile.

  
  


That made me smile back. "Don't change the subject."

  
  


David tried to kiss me, but I pulled away. I haven't been able to kiss him since 'that night.' 

  
  


"Sorry." I said.

  
  


"Don't apologize. It's all right." David said sternly. David was very sensitive to my feelings and understood why I was having trouble. But his understanding offered no protection from getting his own feelings hurt. I felt bad, but I . . 

  
  


"I should go." David said, as he morphed into a bat. He always goes bat when he's pissed off . . . and it's night. 

  
  


"Um . . ." I tried to think of something to say, but I didn't really want him to stay either. "How's Rachel?" I finally said.

  
  


She'll be fine. David said as he flew out. 

  
  


I climbed back into bed. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." I said to myself.

  
  
  
  


Next Day. Fifth Period English. I tried to get myself to talk to Rachel, but I think of anything to say. Rachel seemed to be in a daze, although not the airheaded-ness from yesterday. The bell rang and our teacher dismissed us.

  
  


"Rachel." I finally called out.

  
  


"Melissa?" Rachel said. "What is it?" she said with genuine concern.

  
  


"Um, I was thinking, maybe we should go to the mall sometime. You look like you could use some Capitalistic Therapy."

  
  


"Mall? You mean, go shopping?" Rachel stammered.

  
  


"Yeah. You know. Like we used to."

  
  


"I'm kind of busy." Rachel said coldly.

  
  


"I understand." I said as Rachel walked away.

  
  


_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Why do you let everyone walk away?_

  
  


But that's when Rachel walked back to me. "You know what? We _should_ go shopping. The Valentine's Day dance is coming." she said sounding a lot like the old Rachel. Almost. "I'm sure we both need new expensive shoes we'll just kick off in first ten minutes. And we'll probably need dresses that will make the men folk slobber."

  
  


I laughed and smiled. "Yeah. Sounds great." I said. "Are you going to bring that guy you brought at Halloween?"

  
  


"Tobias?" She said, seeming to snap back to reality. "Hopefully. Do you have someone special you plan on bringing?"

  
  


I smiled inwardly. "Hopefully."

  
  


******************************************************************************

  
  


This was supposed to be an easy chapter. Sorry it took so long, but the sh*t level in Augustine Quill's life has risen a few notches.

  
  


One, they're starting to lay off people at my work. Slightly stressful.

  
  


Two, I recently had opening night of a play I'm performing in. Moderately stressful.

  
  


Three, my doctor found a mole on my back that looks bad. They want to remove it and do a biopsy. That's doctor talk for "It might be cancerous." Very stressful. I hereby strike the words 'melanoma' and 'cancer' from conversations you might have with me.

  
  


But don't worry. Augustine Quill isn't going anywhere. And the next chapter should be up in few weeks. Of course in Quill-time that could mean Spring Equinox, but I have a soft commitment to Elcolo9 and his fans, so I better keep it.

  
  


'Til next we meet, 

  
  


Augustine Quill.


	41. Beastiary

To my adoring fans,

  
  


With "One Least Likely", or OLL, taking up most of my fanfiction energies, I rarely get the time to branch out into other fandoms (Or if I do, they don't generate much response. Case in point: "Return of the Tamers"). 

  
  


In expansion of this whole "Beast" concept, I have delivered this chapter. For a better explanation of the entire Beast concept, read Elcolo9's "The Antimorph Saga" which can be found in my Favorite Stories section of my bio. 

  
  


This is a break for me, so most of all, this is my FUN chapter. Bwa-ha-ha.

  
  


**************************************************************************************

**_February 10, 200010:03 PM_**

  
  


"To be . . . or not to be. That is the question." said the voice on the TV. Not Hamlet, but Dinobot from Beast Wars Transformers. "These disks I hold -- are they a record of what WILL be -- or only what of MAY? For if the future is indeed immutably foretold, then my demise is but moments from that confirmation, for I could not live if not the master of my fate."

  
  


I can relate.

  
  


"But IF... the future CAN be changed -- if these disks record merely one path of all the myriad ways the cosmos might conform -- then their power is infinite! And yet, still limited -- for they could be used but once, and in that change be rendered fiction forevermore."

  
  


"Ayla, stop movie file." I said. "Open _Code of Hero_. Marker 13."

  
  


"The question that once haunted my being has been answered." Dinobot said. "The future is **not** fixed, and my choices are my own. And yet, how ironic . . . for I now find I have no choice at all."

  
  


"Stop file." I said. "My choices are my own. I do not have to destroy the universe. I can choose not to walk through the door that Fate has shown me."

  
  


"Are we talking about the Beast thing?" Ayla asked.

  
  


"'Men are masters of their fates/The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars/but in ourselves . . .' Cassius, _Julius Cæsar_."

  
  


"Hamlet, Dinobot, Cassius." Ayla listed. "Dead, Dead, Dead!"

  
  


"Fiction! Fiction! Fiction!" I countered.

  
  


"Cassius was a real person." Ayla corrected. "Born-"

  
  


"Not interested, Ayla. My point is, I can control my life, find my own destiny."

  
  


"Or die trying."

  
  


"Better myself to die than all of existence."

  
  


"Are you going to the Valentine's Day Dance on Friday?" Ayla asked. 

  
  


"Your obvious attempts to change the subject do not work, Ayla." I said.

  
  


"Neither do yours. Are you going or not?" Ayla persisted.

  
  


"Friday? That's tomorrow. I don't know." I said.

  
  


"You've been worrying about this entire Beast thing for months. You need to snap out of it!" Ayla said, suddenly mimicking Cher from _Moonstruck_. Ayla seemed to pick up my penchant and habit for quoting movies. "There is a 74% that your anxiety is exacerbating your fragile mental health. There exists an extensive amount of scenarios on what your anxiety may do to your morphing powers, especially since yours in particular are deviant from the norm."

  
  


"Well thank you, Dear Abby-tron, I'll keep that in mind." I said. "I'm tired of talking to you, Ayla. I'm going to bed. Activate sleep mode."

  
  


"Mmph! What makes you think I desire to converse with an irrational, manic-depressive, callow, abrasive, crabby-pants?!" Ayla said right before activating sleep mode. I don't know where I went wrong, but somehow I programmed mood swings into Ayla's character logarithms. I knew I should have left the computer geek stuff to Dr. Orbin.

  
  


"What does it mean to be a Beast?" I said to myself. Perhaps I misunderstood the Drode. That thing always talks in riddles. _What does it mean to be a Beast?_ _What does it mean to be a Beast?_ _What does it mean . . . . ._

  
  
  
  


I was dreaming.

  
  


"You worthless sonovabitch!" cried my father. "I tried to make a man out of you. Not some wussy-kicking, universe destroying, faggot!"

  
  


"It means frightened and weak-willed." said Jeremy London.

  
  


"Really? Shit." said Jason Lee. (The actor) "That's the only part of the letter I thought was complimentary."

  
  


"Ha Ha." Ayla said.

  
  


"Fuck you, Dad." I said. "I decide my fate. I can choose not to destroy the universe."

  
  


"What about chance?" Ayla asked.

  
  


"Never leave anything to chance." said my father.

  
  


"Never leave anything to chance." said Jake.

  
  


"You're not a man. You're a Beast!" said my father.

  
  


"What does that mean?" I asked.

  
  


"You're a Beast!" my father repeated.

  
  


"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!!!! TELL ME WHAT THAT MEANS, FATHER?!!!!" I screamed.

  
  


"You're a Beast!" my father repeated. "Ha Ha Ha Ha."

  
  


I became angry and morphed into a lion. My arms, however, were still humanoid. I attacked my father.

  
  


"TELL ME!"

  
  


I then felt a strange feeling of vertigo. I became oddly aware of my surroundings. I was dreaming. I knew that. The term was "lucid dreaming," but this felt like something more. All the other images from my dream disappeared. Except my father. He was there. He had a strange, twisted smile on his face.

  
  


"How appropriate." He said. "You beckon your spiritual father to come as your biological father."

  
  


"Spiritual Father?" I repeated. "God?"

  
  


"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Not God. Far from it! I am no vassal of Yah-weh the Power."

  
  


"What are you?"

  
  


"I am that merry wanderer of the night." said the apparition in my father's form. He was quoting Shakespeare's _A Midsummer_ _Night's Dream_.

  
  


"Robin Goodfellow." I recognized.

  
  


"Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Lucifer. I have so many names, but you can call me Dad."

  
  


"Al Pacino. _Devil's Advocate_."

  
  


"Your head is filled with such useless shit."

  
  


"How are you my father? James Hunting is my father."

  
  


"Biologically yes, but there are other forces than biology. Hmmph. I don't know why I'm telling this to a little pissant like you. My wayward Beast-child, blocked from guidance by the Lord of Treason, Crayak! Worse yet, you're actually a servant of that Damn dimensionally-fused, mortal son of Yah-weh!"

  
  


"Jesus?"

  
  


"Catch on quick, don't you Davie?"

  
  


"You called me a Beast-child. What does it mean to be a Beast?"

  
  


"What does it mean? My prodigal son wants to know what it means to be a Beast? Perhaps you'd like to see what some of your brothers have done?"

  
  


"Brothers?"

  
  


"You'll hear the thoughts of either their victims or the Beasts themselves. Enjoy! And watch for the Mark of the Beast."

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


David Moonbeam had always been a rebel without any cause other than destruction, it had made him the cancer of Utopia, it had gotten him resurrected from the grave by a demon who saw potential and it had allowed him to blaze his way across the galaxy to Concord Dawn, home to millions of alien species passing by, the greasy truck stop of the Universe, a planet-wide Las Vegas.

  
  


So what is there to do for a rebellious teen away from home? Get a tattoo.

  
  


It was the idea half-formed in his mind when he'd shoved the posse inside the taxi-craft this morning, they had stolen credits to blow, why not do something to bring the happy family closer.

  
  


The closest was a little place between replicant brothel and a greasy fast food restaurant for plant life forms, it looked liked any other human tattoo parlour in the system to him, extravagant designs filled the dirty windows.

  
  


Inside was the same story, tattoo designs covered every wall, grungy in a colourful kind of way, just clean enough to pass government regulations, the tattoo artist was the big difference compared to any in the human system, a bright red octopus-like creature easily the size of a human; it had dozens of tentacles, some thick as human thighs, others longer and whip-like.

  
  


Near the top of the bulbous body area was a huge mouth filled with clean straight teeth that looked like a horse's only larger, three light orange eyes with a slit of sky-blue in each read the newspaper he was holding, two very small horns jutted from his forehead.

  
  


He bore one distinctive mark of a tattoo artist no matter the species, he was highly decorated himself, strange designs ran down his bulk, bleeding skulls and burning dice, alien women in suggestive poses, the word MOM inside a heart decorated the top of his left dominant tentacle.

  
  


He spotted them after a moment and swallowed what looked like a mouthful of seaweed-jerky, "What can do you for?" It rumbled, the creature's voice was bowel-tremblingly deep.

  
  


"Name's David Moonbeam, want some tattoos for me and for my posse."

  
  


"Ratnim-Sculuck-Broadback, you've come to the right place, got something in mind?"

  
  


When Moonbeam had left he had, the symbol he'd used briefly for the Moon Beam Posse during his first shot at life, a human skull inset by a crescent moon symbol, but like many things it had now seemingly slipped his sieve-like memory by.

  
  


"We'll just look a..." He started to say when he saw the barcode symbol; it was nothing special certainly, just a black and white barcode being licked by cartoon flames, "That one." He pointed to it without thought.

  
  


Ratnim's eyes followed the finger to the barcode, "Heh heh." He growled a laugh, "That's usually a droid tattoo, reads 666 under their scanners." This didn't seem to make an impression of any sort on Moonbeam; his posse backed him, impassive looks on each face. "Alright what difference it make? Dats the one you want sure thing."

  
  


A minute later Dave was sitting on a large white table with his shirt off, Ratmin was holding a small electric device that looked like a cross between a fountain pen and a very tiny harpoon, "Where you want it?"

  
  


"Here." Moonbeam clapped the side of his right bicep, "Same for them." There were no objections, Ratmin thought the whole set up was a little weird himself but kept quiet and went to work.

  
  


The alien tattooing process didn't hurt, it itched like steel wool being brushed lightly against the skin but didn't feel anything like the human method, confirmed by Taz, Roach and Siggs who all had tattoos already.

  
  


"I didn't know you had one." Roach rasped to Siggs, "Where is it?"

  
  


"Bet you'd love to know." Siggs teased.

  
  


"You show me yours I'll show you mine."

  
  


Siggs was the last and Ratmin finished up when the towering Fornsmith lumbered through the door and bellowed for Broadback.

  
  


He was a conehead was what Moonbeam noticed with quite some amusement, like in that comedy with Dan Ackroyd, Only this one was the Hulk Hogan of all Coneheads, about 8-foot tall and so broad he had to go through the door sideways.

  
  


A grey beard went with a human mouth and nose but the eyes, he had six, where a human's would be bulged red globes the size of tennis balls, a little further up the cone of his head glittered blue eyes that looked like rare gems and near the top were two small green ones, the size of marbles.

  
  


"I just wanna get just one skull in before I have to leave on business again." The posse assumed he was talking about on his right arm, it was coated with skull tattoos joined by swirling black patterns, there were at least forty skulls up and down that huge, beefy, arm, varying sizes and species were evident.

  
  


"Another job well done Jupiter?" Ratmin bellowed back.

  
  


"Well enough to be added to the arm of fame." Jupiter replied, it dawned on the posse, this Fornsmith was a bounty hunter, and this could be a bit of a problem for them as the flavour of the mouth bounty.

  
  


Jupiter had a sidearm the size of a sawn-off shotgun and a collection of blades on his belt, when he went to sit he shifted uncomfortably, a huge laser-blaster was strapped to his back.

  
  


His arm wasn't his only trophy, several dry flaps that looked suspiciously like the ears of several different species hung off his hunting vest, around his neck was an enormous tooth, to the posse it looked like something tore out of a T-rex's mouth from Earth's ancient past.

  
  


Rachel paid Ratmin, Moonbeam considered what to do, they might be able to sneak away, not draw the bounty hunters attention, but...It had been a slow couple of days.

  
  


He strode up to the giant conehead, "Morning" He said pleasantly.

  
  


"Mornin'." Grunted the bounty hunter offhandedly, he looked away for a moment but drew back to the cheerful human, all three pairs of eyes squinted at Moonbeam thoughtfully, he shook a huge finger at him.

  
  


"I know you from somewhere, don't I?" He asked, Moonbeam remained silence.

  
  


Jupiter's finger shook more violently as he spoke "Yeah, Moonbeam, David Moonbeam." Red eyes glanced to the posse, blue scanned the room but the small green ones stayed locked on Dave.

  
  


Surprisingly fast for a big guy he grabbed at his sidearm, Moonbeam reached under his jacket for his MiniUzi, the posse went for their own weapons.

  
  


A shot rang out, as shots are wont to do.

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


We couldn't have predicted this. It was insane. One of our own. My team and I must fight back. The universe's only hope consists of Kaylee Cranston, Rachel Berenson, Marc LaRouche, Dustin Shang, and myself, James Malcolm. We had to stop him. We had to stop David Ortega.

  
  


We found him in the quarry. Unmorphed. Waiting for us. Like a crocodile for fish. 

  
  


"You can't do this, David!" I shouted.

  
  


"You'll destroy everything." Kaylee added.

  
  


"Fools. This is my destiny. Only I can fulfill the prophesy. You are only delaying the inevitable!" David shouted back. "I have taken control of my former master. And yours!"

  
  


"No!" Dustin yelled.

  
  


"He's not backing down." Marc said.

  
  


"We have to fight him." Rachel agreed.

  
  


"This is gonna suck." Dustin complained.

  
  


"We have no choice." I said. "Time to Morph."

  
  


"Yes. Let's!" David dared.

  
  


My Team and I did, as we did many times before, our 'ritual' if you will before battling. This time we did it, knowing it could be our last. Thus we cried our battle cry much louder and stronger this time.

  
  


"Maiar Rangers!!!" We shouted. "Power Up!!"

  
  


"Maiar Ranger One! White!" cried Kaylee.

  
  


"Maiar Ranger Two! Pink!" cried Rachel.

  
  


"Maiar Ranger Three! Blue!" cried Marc.

  
  


"Maiar Ranger Four! Yellow!" cried Dustin.

  
  


"Maiar Ranger Five! Red!" I cried.

  
  


David laughed. "Maiar Ranger Six! Green!"

  
  


We were morphed, including our foe. Our garments, resembling Angel armor. David's, resembling Demon's armor. On all six of us, our ranger suits show our colors, along with our number designation, in white and gold, on our chest and each of our shoulders. 

  
  


David was no different. On his Green armor, was a black and gold 6 on his left shoulder, chest, and right shoulder. Three 6's. 666. 

  
  


I guess I should have seen it coming.

  
  


"With both Zordon's and Dark Specter's powers added to my own, I will crush the five of you like so many ants!" David shouted maniacally. "I will be the only Power Ranger in the Universe. Maiar 6. The Dark Green Machine! I will control the universe. Or I will destroy it!"

  
  


"You'll have to get rid of us first!" I shouted bravely. 

  
  


"We need Maiarzord power now!" We shouted together. "Mega Maiarzord!"

  
  


"Mephistozord, arise!" David shouted.

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


The Anicatrons were foolish to give us this technology. Now the Universe will feel the wrath of Ceri's Kindness. We took the nearest planet we could find, the Anati. Great hosts. Not much bigger than our Gedds, but much better mobility. I definitely like this prehensile tail. Unfortunately, these things take FOREVER to breed, so we'll have to find another species, eventually. 

I didn't tell the council, but I found something here. Something . . . . strange. The Anati were very afraid of it, but I was not some silly, primative, superstitious Anati. I went into their "Forbidden Cave" and found it. To anyone else it might look like six small stones latticed together, but I could FEEL the power. I held it in my hands and all at once the power flowed through me. I could take on ANYTHING! Destroy anything. The stone talked to me. It was the Hexstone. The Hexstone of Fate. I could control Fate! It told of two other stones like it: The Hexstone of Chance and the Hexstone of Will. They were on different worlds, the stone told me, but if they were united, one could control the universe. Or destroy it, as I saw fit.   


I would find the other two Hexstones. My name is Deyvyd Six-Six-Six of the Sulp Niar Pool. Soon, I will be Emperor of the Universe!   
  
FLASH!

  
  


"Ophanimon!" cried my little sister, Eve Berenson, "Don't give up!" A feminine angel advanced toward the evil digital monster

  
  


"You can do it, Seraphimon!" cried Eve's boyfriend, Adam Verenda, a charismatic and powerful African teenager. His digital monster, or digimon, a male angel clad in knight's armor joined his female counterpart.

  
  


"Kerpymon! Help them!" cried my cousin, Rachel to her clownish-looking angel digimon which still possessed a hint of her original rabbit form.

  
  


"It won't work!" said Rachel's little brother Jordan/Megagargomon, a giant dog-like creature, standing upright in green armor. "He's too strong. You need to bio-merge like me and Terriermon."

  
  


My name is Tom Berenson, and I am a digi-destined. A useless Digidestined. My digimon can only evolve to an Ultimate form, dwarfed by the power of David's new Mega.

  
  


David Ichijoji. He started with a rookie like all of us. DeviBeastmon. But he evolved to Champion Level, Dracmon. Then Ultimate level, Shrikemon. Now his Mega Level, DeQuinzBeastmon, and ugly and powerful son of a bitch. He has all ready absorbed the power of fellow demonic megas, Malomyotismon, Beelzemon, and Daemon. And now he has absorbed Apocalymon. With all that power he can . . . and will destroy the digital world. Hell, with that power, he's liable to destroy the real world as well!

  
  


But we can't fight. Only Adam's, Eve's, and Rachel's digimon have the power to digivolve to Mega. All three angel types. Appropriate, seeing how they must fight a devil of a monster. That is until Jordan discovered something called Bio-merging. He actually fused himself with his digimon. The result was a Mega level fighter to contend with. Now, if only Adam and Eve could do it.

  
  


There were six of us. Myself, Dani Shang, William Roberts, Victor Azular, Jorge Rojando, and Eric Meyers. There were also our digimon. Kabuterimon, a giant stag beetle, is mine. Dani's is Airdramon, a flying serpent. William has Monochromon, a black and white triceratops. Victor has Garurumon, a vicious wolf. Jorge has Kuwagamon, a humongous stag beetle. Eric's digimon was MetalGreymon, a tyrannosaur on steroids and giant metal claw. All our digimon were default Champions. Except for Eric's, his was a particular feral default Ultimate. Nonetheless, he was still just an ultimate, and could not stand the power of DeQuinzBeastmon.

  
  


"DeQuinzBeastmon! Take those two out!" David commanded.

  
  


DeQuinzBeastmon lifted up his mammoth, grotesque head. "Satan's Fire!!" He spewed. Seraphmon and O_mon were hit. The blow forced them to de-digivolve back to Angemon and Angewomon.

  
  


"Angemon!" Adam cried as he ran to his fallen partner.

  
  


"No!" Eve cried doing the same.

  
  


"They're in the line of fire!" Airdramon shouted.

  
  


"Eve! Adam! Get out of there!" I shouted.

  
  


"No use, Tom. They won't leave their digimon." Kabuterimon told me.

  
  


"We can't wait! Mega or no Mega. I'm fighting!" Eric shouted as MetalGreymon placed his partner atop his head. MetalGreymon roared in agreement. MetalGreymon charged into battle.

  
  


"What do we do, Tom?" Dani asked me.

  
  


"I say we fight!" Jorge shouted.

  
  


"Yeah!" Kuwagamon chimed in.

  
  


"And give David a serious ass-whuppin'" Victor amended.

  
  


"And his ugly digimon, too." Garurumon added.

  
  


"I shall not stand idle!" Monochromon chimed.

  
  


"Will?" I asked.

  
  


"Our chance of survival is nil." Will said looking up from his labtop. "DeQuinzBeastmon's power levels are staggering. We will surely be deleted. Still. I can't sit here while David and his bastard digimon destroy everything we've worked so hard to protect."

  
  


"Besides. Eric is already trying to clobber the monster!" Jorge shouted.

  
  


"Giga destroyer!" shouted MetalGreymon from afar.

  
  


"Let's go!" I commanded. "Digivolve to Ultimate!"

  
  


"Kabuterimon digivolve to . . . . Megakabuterimon!"

  
  


"Airdramon digivolve to . . . . Megadramon!"

  
  


"Monochromon digivolve to . . . . Triceramon!"

  
  


"Garurumon digivolve to . . . . Weregarurumon!"

  
  


"Kuwagumon digivolve to . . . . Okuwamon!"

  
  


The five of us joined Eric and MetalGreymon and charged the humongous digimon that was David's partner.

  
  


"Horn Buster!"

  
  


"Ultimate Slicer!"

  
  


"Tri-Horn Attack!"

  
  


"Wolf Claw!"

  
  


"Double Scissor Claws"

  
  


"Giga Destroyer!"

  
  


"DeQuinzBeastmon, get rid of these weak, pathetic meddlers." David commanded.

  
  


"Damnation Bubble!" DeQuinzBeastmon summoned and MetalGreymon was trapped inside a green bubble that glowed a black shine. "Damnation Bubble!" The other five charging Ultimates were soon caught together in a second bubble. "Damnation Bubble!" This time, it was the six of us plus Rachel who were trapped in that bubble.

  
  


"Now, my friend. Destroy them!" David commanded.

  
  


"Hand of Fate!"

  
  


"Celestial Arrow!"

  
  


Two attacks hit DeQuinzBeastmon and distracted him. He delayed his annihilation of us to taunt the two perpetrators, Angemon and Angewoman.

  
  


"Ha Ha Ha. Do you really think a Champion and an Ultimate could actually stop me?" DeQuinzBeastmon taunted.

  
  


That's when I noticed that the two angels had riders. "We can and we will." Angemon said boldly.

  
  


"Your evil is terminal, DeQuinzBeastmon!" Angewoman said.

  
  


"You too, David. You will lose because you are evil. We will win because we are good and pure." Eve said proudly.

  
  


"So Fuck off!" Adam added.

  
  


"Heaven's Charm!" Angewoman summoned. A circle of light attached itself onto our damnation bubble and freed the seven of us. Kerpymon grabbed MetalGreymon's bubble while Jordan/MegaGargomon grabbed the bubble that held the other five digimon. 

  
  


"Irrrrgg! You've let them get away!" David said furious. "Get rid of these four NOW, DeQuinzBeastmon!"

  
  


DeQuinzBeastmon began to lift his monstrous head.

  
  


"Adam. Eve. Get to safety!" Angemon warned.

  
  


"My Heaven's Charm will save you." Angewoman added.

  
  


"No way, Angemon. We're in this together. We're gonna stay that way." Adam said.

  
  


"We go forward to face the Beast!" Eve shouted. Definitely _my_ sister. DeQuinzBeastmon looked ready to let loose his lethal attack.

  
  


"Maybe we didn't think this all the way through." Adam said.

  
  


"Satan's Fire!"

  
  


"Adam! Eve! Bio-Merge now!" Jordan/MegaGargomon shouted.

  
  


The Fire hit my sister, her boyfriend, and their respective digimon. What followed was an explosion of light.

  
  


"Angemon!""Bio-merge to . . . Maiarmon!"

  
  


"Angewomon!""Bio-merge to Maiarwomon!"

  
  


In the wake of DeQuinzBeastmon's attack were two seriously HUGE and majestically clad Angel Digimon. Adam and Eve were not in sight.

  
  


"You're gonna pay for your deeds, DeQuinzBeastmon!" Adam/Maiarmon said.

  
  


"And then you're gonna get the help you need, David Ichijoji." Eve/Maiarwomon added.

  
  


"I don't need _your_ help." David yelled defiantly.

  
  


"Satan's Fire!" DeQuinzBeastmon attacked. The two bio-merged megas fell back, but were not down for the count.

  
  


"Sword of Gray'Ang!" Adam/Maiarmon attacked with a sacred blade.

  
  


"Paradise Blessing!" Eve/Maiarwomon attacked with the holy light that erupted from her hands and wings. 

  
  


DeQuinzBeastmon bellowed in pain and de-digivolved all the way back to DeviBeastmon. David ran to his fallen comrade. 

  
  


"No!"

  
  


"Your reign of terror is over!" I shouted.

  
  


"Don't make us get ugly." Okuwagamon grinned.

  
  


"Surrender your evil ways." Adam/Maiarmon advised.

  
  


"It is our destiny to destroy the likes of you!" DeviBeastmon said weakly, but stubbornly from his master's arms.

  
  


"And we are _bonded_ in that destiny!" David said as he held up his Digivice. It glowed its black shine, and soon he was surrounded in his fractal code, a series of 1's and 0's. 

  
  


"He's digivolving." Kerpymon said.

  
  


"Into what?" Dani asked.

  
  


"Oh no." William said, looking at his labtop. "Tom, David's fractal code is 1010011010."

  
  


"So?" I asked.

  
  


"In decimal form, that number is . . . 666."

  
  


"My God." I said.

  
  


"This is bad, isn't it?" MegaKabuterimon asked.

  
  


"He's bio-merging!" Jordan/MegaGargomon shouted.

  
  


"DeviBeastmon!""Bio-merge to . . . MariusBeastmon!"

  
  


"This is going to suck." Adam/Maiarmon stated.

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


It was weird to think of this place as our sanctuary. Upon arrival into this weird little world, this is where were brought and tortured, just to see if we were witches. Our former captor is now our host.

  
  


We have lost many troops, and we have lost our mountain paradise, once the center of this bubble universe. But what has hit us the most is that we have lost one of our own. 

  
  


Christopher Hitchcock, who was with us when we came to Everworld, is dead. 

  
  


David Levin, our leader, had led us right into one of Ka Anor's traps. Several of our troops decimated. Zeus, Odin, Ares, Athena, . . . gone. Merlin, dead. Christopher too. Mt. Olympus seized. We now hid in the last place I thought I would ever consider safe. Loki's castle.

  
  


I cried on Jalil's shoulder as David argued with Loki.

  
  


"Your leadership has near destroyed us!" Loki shouted.

  
  


"I know, but there was a dividend. Look. The Cronus Stone. With this, I have the power of a god, but the will of a human. I will replace Merlin." David insisted.

  
  


"You don't just replace Merlin, stupid fool!" Loki shouted. "I grow tired of your piss poor direction. Because of you, we have lost Zeus, Athena, Baldur, even Odin. Does it surprise you that I mourn Odin's demise? I do mourn. With the All-father gone, a piece of me dies too."

  
  


"The time you spent in the Hetwan Camp has taken its toll on you, Davideus." Heracles said. "You look at the mark they gave and you seethe with anger. I have noticed you grow more thirsty for Hetwan blood."

  
  


"That thirst and this stone have twisted your mind, David Levin." Quetzalcoatl said.

  
  


"Look, I'm tired of this shit. We've been through this. You gods cannot unite properly. You need a human. With Merlin gone, that's me."

  
  


"Do you know what that mark is on your chest?" Quetzalcoatl asked me.

  
  


"It's a serial number." David said. "I don't have to read Hetwan to know its serial number. If Christopher were here, he'd mention the karmic destiny of a Jew in a concentration camp getting a number tattooed on him."

  
  


"You're right. Christopher would say that, . . . if he were here." Jalil added with extra emphasis.

  
  


"We were warned about that mark." Thor said grimly.

  
  


"What the fuck? Warned?" David asked.

  
  


"When we all used to be Maiar." Loki said.

  
  


"All of you?" I asked.

  
  


"Yes, April O'Brien." Quetzalcoatl stated. "Before the first human walked the earth we were all Maiar who served the Power, until we chose to live with the humans."

  
  


"What's a Maiar?" Jalil asked.

  
  


"Who cares? The point is, we need to think of a plan to get Ka Anor off Everworld." David insisted.

  
  


"Ka Anor IS Everworld, now!" Loki said. "You will destroy everything."

  
  


"The humans will rally with me. _They_ at least know what it means to fight for something you believe in." David said as he stormed out with the Cronus Stone.

  
  


"Beliefs are dangerous things." Jalil said. "People die for it. People kill for it."

  
  


"What does the mark mean, Quetzalcoatl?" I asked.

  
  


"It is a serial number, like he said." Quetzalcoatl answered.

  
  


"What number?"

  
  


"Six hundred sixty-six." said Apollo.

  
  


"666?" I said with a shudder. My Catholic upbringing knew what that meant. "Mark of the Beast."

  
  


"He will destroy everything." Loki said. "He will destroy Everworld."

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


I held my sword high. The Eye of Gray'Ang gave me much power. No. Power is never a gift, but a responsibility. Nonetheless, my sword could now vanquish the terrible enemies that were before me.

  
  


My name is BeRandor Kent. I am a Gedd. In Terran measurements, I am 6 feet and 1 inch tall. My team and I landed on Great Terra when our home planet, G'Dronite, was destroyed by a comet. With me is Sitecha Matnor, a scientist and the guy who was told NOT to crash into any planets until we get to New G'Dronite. We also have Duchess Kangel Shadur, a teenage minor noble who thinks she's a warrior. We also brought along Kangel's friend/pet yeerk named Gato and his host, a portly three-foot creature called a frigi who Gato named Cyith.

  
  


The Great Terran locals are called Homo-Sapiens. Smart creatures. Limited technology, not much past the steel tool stage, but they did ingenious things with stringy plant life and created a world-wide communications network, way ahead of their time. They have a great capacity for understanding. Unfortunately, they are a war-like people. We have two humans traveling with us, a male named Dante Abés and a female named Merrick Carnet. We also had a Demi-human, a human who is also half-animal. We were accompanied by a Half-human, half-two-winged-bird person named Tobias Fangor. The Seven of us have had many adventures, mostly involving a clan of evil Demi-humans led by David Ortega-Kan, a demi-human who was half a creature the humans called a dragon. Half-human, Half-dragon. He was a dangerous sort. 

  
  


Often times, a being named Whistler would guide us against Ortega-Kan's exploits. He explained that a long time ago, a certain artifact of a creature named Mephisto exploded when Ortega-Kan tried to harness it's power. It broke off into 37 perfect rectangles, each 6 inches by 3 inches. The rectangular shards are imbedded in Ortega-Kan's dragon hide. This is what gave him his power. He also had the bad habit of summoning demi-demons. Half-human, half-demon.

  
  


We finally got our break. An alien ship landed on Great Terra. The ship belonged to two androids named Chee-Urnee and Chee-Byrrt. Ortega-Kan's hired help, a pirate named Fargo Steelhand, found the two chee and their unfortunate passengers, three primitive aliens called Andalites. Simple farmers, abducted by some other race and then found by the peaceful Chee Androids. They crashed on Great Terra when a Skrit Na raider exploded to close to them. The blast damaged the fuel tank on their ship, and they made an emergency landing on this planet. That's when Captain Fargo Steelhand found them. Steelhand assumed the ship belonged to the Andalites and that the Chee were only robotic servants. So, the Chee were thrown into the sea, and the Andalites were taken to Ortega-Kan. Ortega-Kan has been attempting to get the Andalites to tell him how to use the ship, so he can enter the "Universal Oneness". 

  
  


What he means is Z-space. His plans are to get into Z-space and use his "Shrike Power" to destroy the universe, thus getting in good with Mephisto, an Emperor-type Demon, and ascertaining great power. David's plan is simple and would work if for one thing.

  
  


The Andalites didn't understand space ships. Never seen one. They were farmers. They knew when to plant and how much.

  
  


We found Chee-Urnee and Chee-Byrtt and they told us about Ortega-Kan's plan. He told me about the three andalite farmers: Crau, Tiag, and Plativa.

  
  


So here we were, the seven of us, plus the chee, at Mount Golbez, David Ortega-Kan's lair. We couldn't go through because Mt. Golbez had a special energy field around it that weakens all that "are not of this world". Namely aliens. For some reason, it doesn't affect demons. No immortals at all.

  
  


That's why Whistler gave me a talisman called the Eye of Gray'Ang. It filled me with the power of a Maiar, whatever that is, and allowed me to get into the Mountain. I barely got into the gates when I saw something that shocked me. Despite being weakened by Ortega-Kan's energy field, the three andalites were fighting back.

  
  


The three andalites looked much like a type of demi-human named centaur, except they had long tails that ended in a blade, no mouth, and two extra eyes on stalks. They were being lead by Crau, a blue andalilte, slender, but tough. Tiag was purple, larger and more muscular. Plativa, the only female, was also purple, very frail looking and had a smaller blade. But she was fighting with all the vigor and strength of her comrades. 

  
  


They were fighting two particular nasty demi-demons named Roach and Coil. We fought them before. Crau, Tiag, and Plativa did and excellent job of holding them off, but were losing. 

  
  


So I held my sword high. The Eye of Gray'Ang gave me much power. I fought the two unholy creatures with my sword and they fell back. It's holy power rendered them unconscious, but not vanquished.

  
  


Thank you for your assistance. Crau said in thought-speech. It was also how Gato talked when he was not in Cyith, but his is much more limited in range. That's why when Gato is in Cyith (or Gato-Cyith as we call the two of them collectively) he uses Cyith's vocal abilities. Frigii are too stupid to talk in their natural state.

  
  


"It looks like you didn't need much help." I said. "Grab my tail. As long as you remain in contact with me and each other, Ortega-Kan's energy field will not affect you. The power of the Eye of Gray'Ang protects me."

  
  


I led the three Andalites in a strange looking train away from Mount Golbez and to the field where the others made it.

  
  


"You made it!" Kangel shouted happily.

  
  


"Hooray!" Merrick shouted in glee.

  
  


"I'm glad you're back, BeRandor," Sitecha said. "I believe I have found something interesting."

  
  


"What?" I ask.

  
  


"Merrick has related to me a legend from her tribe. She says a Beast will come to destroy the world and will bear its mark. 666. Dante is convinced that David Ortega-Kan is this Beast."

  
  


"His rectangles are 3 by 6. Three sixes? 666? You follow?" Dante said.

  
  


"That's idiotic, Dante!" Merrick said.

  
  


"Actually, Dante maybe onto something." Sitecha said. "Look. 6 by 3 is 18 square inches, correct?"

  
  


"Yes, of course." I said.

  
  


"Well, according to legend, David has 37 of these rectangles imbedded into his dragon-like skin."

  
  


"37?!" Dante repeated incredulously.

  
  


"And 37 times 18 is . . ."

  
  


"Wait! I know this!" Kangel said. "Six hundred and sixty-six square inches!" Kangel answered, proud of her skills. Kangel is not the brightest noble on G'Dronite.

  
  


"666." I said.

  
  


"Mark of the Beast." Tobias added.

  
  


"Ha! I was right!" Dante said.

  
  


"That's not a good thing, Dante!" Merrick scolded.

  
  


Are you saying that thing that held us will destroy the planet? Crau asked.

  
  


"No, of course not!" Chee-Urnee said. "He's going to destroy the entire universe."

  
  


"Urnee!" Chee-Byrrt scolded.

  
  


"This planet sucks." Gato-Cyith said.

  
  


"BeRandor! Look out! It's David Ortega-Kan!" Tobias warned with his "Raptor-vision".

  
  


David flew in so quick, I had no time to react. He snatched the talisman of Gray'Ang, and flew back.

  
  


"He has the talisman!" I said.

  
  


"Ha Ha Ha. The Eye of Gray'Ang. The power of a Maiar is mine. Mine to possess. Mine to exploit!" David shouted maniacally as he began to open the talisman.

  
  


Whistler appeared then, very suddenly. **No, David Ortega. You mustn't open the talisman!**

  
  


"My name is Ortega-KAN! How **DARE** you tell me what I must and mustn't do! I David Ortega-Kan who now rules the **_UNIVERSE!!!!!!!_**__" David Ortega-Kan opened the talisman. What seemed like the light of a thousand suns spilled forward. Roach and Coil came to and cringed from the light. Then the Light enveloped everything around us.

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


2nd May, 1940, Koln.

German General Heinrich Nearne was anxious. Three of the most powerful men in Germany were coming to see his greatest accomplishment.

There was Field Marshal Hans Jurgen, a solider known for his cruel methods of torture. Thanks to him, many British secrets had been unveiled. 

Another person was Hitler's Secret Service Chief, Reinhard Heydrich. Everyone knew that Heydrich was a liar and a scoundrel who had killed German Soliders, dressed them up in Polish Uniforms, and pretended that the Polish had attacked the Germans first.

And there was another. The second most powerful person in Germany. Hitler's Assistant, Rudolf Hess. Rather a strange choice for an Assistant, Heinrich thought, he was a firm believer in things like the Occult, and Beasts, nonsense like that. But then again, Hitler was a little mad himself. Birds of a feather........

Heinrich's thinking was interrupted by the sound of a truck coming towards him. It stopped, and out came Hans Jurgen, along with a lot of Soliders.

Heinrich smiled. "Honestly, Hans, so many Soliders?" Since Heinrich and Hans were old friends, he was one of the only people who could get away with something like this.

The Field Marshal looked annoyed. "English Spys might have tried to waylay me. You never know, Heinrich. But, anyway, are you still calling yourself DaKaarl?"

That struck a cord with Heinrich. "When the name DaKaarl is idolised in every German home, you won't be so cocky then, Hans."

"I am sorry. I kiss your feet in apology, O Great One."

Heinrich sighed. How can such a ruthless Solider be so childish? Before he had the chance to say this to him, a Limousine appeared. When it drew close to the two Soliders, the Chauffer got out the car, opened a door, and Reinhard Heydrich came out, looking suprisingly cheerful.

"Hi Heinrich, Hans. Been here long?"

"I've hardly been here at all." Hans asked. "What's up with you anyway, why are you so happy?"

"The idiot Media have swallowed my Story that the Polish attacked us first. Honestly, I could have told them that the Polish were aliens and they would have believed it, the way they lapped it up!"

"That's the Media for you," Heinrich agreed, but only because he wouldn't dare disagree with someone so far above him. In Reality, he knew that the Press were just pretending to believe it, because it was a story for the Newspapers. "they'll believe anything."

"Too true." Hans said, obviously thinking the same thoughts as Heinrich. 

"So, Heinrich," Reinhard asked. "what's this great plan, then?"

"We must wait for-" Heinrich started, but was cut off by the sound of an Engine. Everyone looked up to see a Plane doing loop-the-loops and various other tricks in the air.

"Rudolf, perhaps?" Hans finished the sentence. "The psycho in the Plane?"

"It would seem so." Reinhard said.

"He's an insane little shit," Heinrich said. "but if he's here, and he is impressed, he may tell Hitler, and that would mean promotion!"

Then, the Plane landed, and Rudolf jumped out.

"Hi, all!" He said. "Just felt like having a little fun. So, Heinrich, what's all this about?"

Now that everyone was here, Heinrich was ready to reveal his plan. "Follow me." He said.

He led them into a Building, the Nazi Training Base that he operated. When they got to a Wall, he pressed a Lever, and a Bookcase swung open, showing a lit path that led downwards. While they went down, Heinrich filled them on the back story of the plan.

"You may find this to believe," He told them, "but one day, when I was walking down the Street to meet with a Sergeant, something fell out of the Sky right at my feet! It looked like some kind of Technology. So, I took it to my Lab-"

"Lab?" Rudolf asked. "You're a Scientist as well?"

"Yes," Heinrich replied. "didn't you know? So anyway, I studied it, and it turned out that it was Technology, technology which was far superior to what we have here on Earth. The Technology to make Robots."

"You are joking." Hans said. "You made Robots?"

"Not quite," Heinrich replied, with an air of mystery in his tone of voice. "The computer could not Understand everything. I can only make Humans into Human/Robot Hybrids, which are deeply flawed, due to having emotions."

"So," Reinhard asked. "what happened?"

"Most of my attempts were a complete failure. The Solider or Soliders I tested on either ended up dead, injured, or the same. But then I tried it on a low-level Solider, on about my 50th attempt."

"And?" Rudolf asked.

They had reached a door. Heinrich opened it, and the men were treated to an amazing sight.

There was about 25 Soliders, all at ease. Behind them was something shocking, imprisioned in a Glass Cage.

It had Nazi Uniform on, and it was a Human, they could tell that much. But it was a Human like no other. The left hand side of his body was Human, but the right hand side was Machine. Pure Metal. And it had the most evil look any of them had ever seen. The look was more evil then Hitlers look when he was really pissed at the British.

"This is good," Hans said. "But how will it help us?"

Heinrich had an insane glint in his eye, not unlike Rudolfs, or Hitlers. "This is the best part." He said, in a voice that scared Hans. "It is programmed to eliminate threats. if there is any threat to the Nazi army, this will destroy it. At the moment, it can only spot huge threats, not minor ones, but this will soon be sorted out. Would you care for a demonstration?"

"Ooh, yes please!" Said Rudolf, with the same glint in his eye that Heinrich had.

"Then we shall begin." Heinrich looked at one of his Soliders. "You! Get the Prisoner!" 

The Solider nodded, ran off, and returned a minute later with a British Solider, tied and gagged.

"Now, untie him, and put him in the Glass Cage!" Heinrich ordered.

The Solider nodded again, untied the Brit, opened a door to the Cage, and pushed him in.

"Just release the force field that it is trapped in......" Heinrich said. He got a controller out of his pocket, and pushed a Black button.

Black. somehow, that colour suited the moment.

DAVID 

I was severly pissed off.

I have all this power, but I can see no threats. I am just in this cage. What do I do?

Then, my master, DaKaarl, came in with some people. He motioned to someone, and they brought in a British Solider.

A threat! Kill it! KILL IT! The Android part of my Brain screamed at me. But I could not move. I was stuck! Then, the threat got pushed in this cage.

I still could not move! Then, suddenly, whatever was holding me got removed. I was free to move again.

KILL IT! KILL THE THREAT! My brain screamed.

I rushed towards the Solider, and held my Android arm out. It went through the Soliders bladder, leaving a Hole that you could see through. The Solider fell to the ground, strangely quiet. 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? The human part of my brain screamed at me. STOP THE MURDER! But the Android in me said: NO! MORE KILLING! MORE! And the Android part was stronger.

I went over to the Solder, who was trying to crawl away. I pulled out a Machine Gun from my inside shirt pocket. I aimed it at the Soliders head. And, ignoring the pleas to stop from my Human Brain, I shot the bastard Brits head off. 

I picked the Head up, and I did something which made my Human Brain lose all hope. I ate it. I ate the Head of an innocent Solider.

No, not innocent. He was a threat. That was why I had killed it.

Suddenly, I saw something on my Arm. I looked at it. It was my birthmark, which said 666. But now it was like it was shining. What did this mean?

Heinrich turned to his superiors. "Well," He asked. "what do you think of it?"

Hans was hanging with his mouth open. "That could win us the War!" He said. "Good work!"

"A little gruesome, but I agree with Hans." Reinhard said. "It is excellent."

"Yes." Rudolf said. "Yes! YES! We will get the English for sure! I will tell Hitler about this excellent, excellent thing! But one thing, what is its name?"

"The Humans name is David Schmidt." Heinrich told him. "But it is more then a Human now. It's full name is David Schmidt, Nazi Weapon 12, Prototype Number 29A."

"29A?" Rudolf said. He looked disturbed.

"Yes. What is wrong with that, Rudolf?" Heinrich asked.

"It is just........29A is hexdecimal for 666, the number of the beast, the number of Hell itself. I have a bad feeling about this....................."

Fool, Heinrich thought. He's nothing but a stupid fool.

"I am probably wrong." He continued. "I will have to ask Hitler what he thinks. I must go now. Goodbye." He left. Hans and Reinhard left as well. 

Heinrich went to his Office. They are Fools, He thought. All of them.

What Hans, Reinhard, and Rudolf had failed to realise was that once 29A had won the war the the Nazis, Heinrich would use it to have full control of the Nazi Party, and therefore, the World. Anybody who got in his way would be killed. And the name DaKaarl would be known everywhere.

  
  
  
  


FLASH!

  
  


"Marty! Have you found him yet?" the Doc said over the Nokia-Pilot, handy devices we got from the year 2055.

  
  


But we picked something else up. Doc Brown's kid, Jules, followed in his dad's footprints by making a new time machine. This time, out of a Ford Bronco. He time-traveled to the year 2055. That's when he ran into this butt-head. He kidnapped Jules and took the Bronco and went back to the year 1985 to give his great-grandfather a means to become the most powerful man in Hill Valley. Funny thing is, this wasn't the first time, his great-granddaddy got an offer like this.

  
  


It's been ten years since I did this, but now it feels like only yesterday. The Doc and I took the Hover-train from our present year, 1995 and went back to 1985, the year Doc and I first started time-traveling. 

  
  


"I found him Doc." I said. "Man, I thought Griff was bad. This crazy son of a bitch has the number 666 tattooed on his forehead."

  
  


"Satanism of the fifties. Seems to happen every century."

  
  


"So what do we do, Doc?"

  
  


"We have to stop him. He shows his ancestor the time machine, he'll go back to 1955 and we'll have a major paradox!"

  
  


"You mean one of those things that can destroy the universe?"

  
  


"Precisely." 

  
  


"Great."

  
  


"You must not let Biff see the time machine. Stop his great-grandson. Stop David Tannen!" Doc said.

  
  


My name is Marty McFly. And I just want to get Back to the Future.

  
  
  
  


FLASH!

  
  


It was destiny. It was fate. For millennia, mutants have been feared and hated. Now, one mutant will end the madness. My father tried, but I David D'Armegdon, will succeed. 

  
  


The one called Cable will try to stop me. Pathetic fool. He does not understand the way things are. This is my calling. It is as evident as the 666 birthmark I've had on my arm since birth. 

  
  


It's not every day you find out the mutant Apocalypse was your father.

  
  


I will use their Time Machine and destroy the fabric of Space-Time from the inside out. Not only will I destroy the planet. I will destroy the Universe!

  
  
  
  


FLASH!

  
  


It had to stop.

  
  


What once was balanced is now unbalanced again.

  
  


And it's my fault.

  
  


It never should have happened. No one of our order has ever achieved this level of power. The great one of Degobah. Not my uncle. Not even my grandfather, whom I am named after.

  
  


But this one. This one who is so close to me. This one I must stop. It is strong with this one. As it is in all my family. As it is in . . .

  
  


Her.

  
  


My sister.

  
  


Dey Viid Solo.

  
  


I am Anakin Solo, son of Leia and Han Solo, nephew of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.

  
  


Uncle Luke is dead. I am the only Jedi now. And my twin sister Dey Viid, she is the only Sith.

  
  


"Stop this, Dey Viid!"

  
  


"Hello, Brother. I felt you coming today. I felt you coming before you got up this morning. I felt you coming when that Odergreian Beast scarred me with this strange mark. I felt you coming since we were children." 

  
  


"That mark? It's just a number. The same number three times."

  
  


"It's more than that."

  
  


"The Force guides us. Not the other way around. The Dark Side has you. You've crossed the line."

  
  


"There is no dark side. There is no good side. There is no line, Brother. The Force guides our actions, but also answers our commands."

  
  


"You can't control the Force, Dey Viid."

  
  


She turned around. Her eyes spewed Dark purple energy. "I AM THE FORCE! I AM A GOD! ARE YOU A GOD, BROTHER?"

  
  


"No."

  
  


"THEN DIE!" Dey Viid said as energy spewed from her hand to me.

  
  


I pulled out my invention. A lightsaber. But one that improves upon the original design. I wielded my white light-saber and it absorbed my sister's dark energy. The great Yoda could do this by hand. I needed a weapon, but a Jedi must do what he must.

  
  


"The more you tighten your grip on the Force, the more it slips through your fingers. The more you destroy the energy that binds us. The more you destroy us all." I said.

  
  


My sister pulled out her lightsaber. It shined black., not the traditional sith red. "Then so be it!"

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


It was time, the shield told me. I knew it, in my heart, that I held my destiny in my hand. 

  
  


I forced my will into the shield, and I felt it take me, absorb me, give me power! I felt warmth, I felt joy, I felt power! I watched as my humanity slipped away, my parents, my sisters, my cousins, my friends, the six humans that forced me to join them, all of it slid away like a stain off a rug. The bonds that made me mortal vanished, and I saw what truly mattered.

  
  


Power.

  
  


I turned to the Manimals, in their elementally imbued morphs, to Visser Three, in his parody of Darkness, and I laughed. And as I laughed, I began to change.

  
  


My body grew, very slightly. The wolf's tail slinked from my back, covered in wiry black fur. Tattered raven's wings exploded from my back. Horns grew from my forehead, the horns of the mountain goat.

  
  


Lastly, fire ripped open through my chest, burning the numbers "666" on my chest, but quickly, the fire consumed it and turned the mark into an "18."

  
  


I opened my eyes, now wild, like those of an animal. I lifted the shield.

  
  


"Well, it's been real, but I gotta fly. I've got plans to make, people to kill, planets to destroy. Catch ya later. By the way, Visser Three, the Manimals are all humans. So, fuck you all, have a nice day."

  
  


In my excitement, I almost forgot to blow up the Yeerk Pool. 

  
  


Destroyed it with the force of ten H-bombs. It took me about the same energy as it would for a human to spit.

  
  


The Manimals and Visser Three would survive. They'd be the only ones. Who cares? They couldn't stop me.

  
  


Nothing could stop me.

  
  


FLASH!

  
  


It had been three days since Sirex had lifted me from limbo, taking me away from that island that I had called a home for almost a year.  
  
Sirex had taken me back to the pool ship over the planet, invisible to all but the most advanced Andalite scanners. Visser three has been informed of Sirex's project, and had been one of the first to meet with me . . .  
  
And oh, how I was interrogated.  
  
The Yeerks drilled me for hours at a time, asking names, questions, all the facts in my head.  
  
Of course, I knew that if I told them, I would have no use. They would throw me out of the nearest airlock, my revenge would have failed.  
  
Sirex, too, seemed to be hard at work. He took so many blood and tissue samples that I lost count. He looked under a microscope at all hours of the day and night.  
  
Why did he feel such a need to ensure my rebirth as a clone? He was a shady figure, all right. I didn't know weather I trusted him or not. He sure was mysterious.  
  
The empire would provide me with the tools to become a feared intergalactic mercenary. They had a new Blade Ship, that had been damaged by the Andalites. It wasn't badly damaged, and the Hork-Bajir workers where working feverishly to repair it.  
  
Under my directions, they even added some improvements, such as an extra layer of armour plating, several extra shield generators, extra heavy Dracon cannons, missle tubes, a spare genrator.  
  
This ship would be the most feared vessel in the galaxy. I even christened it. I named it the Anubis, after the Egyptian god of death, the overlord of hell. He lived in the underworld and ate the souls of the damned. It wasn't far from what I had planned for the Animorphs.  
  
In additon, I had the ship well stocked. Its armory was filled to capacity, with all sorts of Yeerk weapons, such as Dracon beams and cannons of all sizes. Chemical grenades, RPG's, Tripod Auto Guns, explosive slugs for human guns, all at my disposal. It even came with the two standard bug fighters, and I obviously had them upgraded as well.  
  
I would be invincible in combat.  
  
I would first aquire the blue box, the Andalite cube that contained the power of morphing, and locate my own team, my own five warriors to battle Jakes. My own opposite animorphs. I would create the Antimorphs. Together, we would execute our enemies, then take the fight to the Yeerks.  
  
But these thoughts were ones that couldn't be spoken in present company.  
  
Over the three days, I was trained by the Yeerk computers, in the basics of military strategy, covert operations, piloting a blade ship and bug fighters, and the maintenance of Yeerk weapons, eve survivalist methods. I had this training computor installed on the Anubis, but why, I never told the burly Hork-Bajir who moved it.  
  
I was awakened early morning in my small "bed" (actually a shoe-box) by Sirex.  
  
What time is it? I asked groggily. Sirex, is that you? What do you want at this time? I glanced over at the wall clock. It was three in the morning.  
  
Sirex was more alive than I had ever seen him, he moved around the room like Eric Cartman on a sugar high. He was almost……giddy.  
  
"It is done, Taggart! The clone, it is grown! I have done it, what even the mighty Andalite have failed to do, I have freed a Nothlit David, do you know what that means? I'll be Visser threes top scientist, I'll be promoted! I could be a Visser, within a year! I could-" he kept going, with his manic ravings at a million miles per hour. I shut him up.  
  
I lept out of my bed, and using my miniscule mouth, bit him on the toe.  
  
With a whimper, he shut up.  
  
Just take me to the clone, Sirex. I have a job to do.  
  
"Yes, of course David. The clone, the transfer must still be completed."  
  
We moved down he near-empty corridors of the pool ship, to the other end that contained Sirex's laboratory complex.  
  
Once we had reached it, I saw my clone.  
  
It was in a fetal position, in a ball in a large tube maybe eight feet tall and six feet wide. It looked exactly like me, or at least, what I could remember.  
  
"David, it is time for the transfer."  
  
He motioned towards a large cubical in the corner, that I could see was connected via a thin cable to my clones head.  
  
I entered the chamber, an Sirex attached the headset to my brow.  
  
This is it, David. Time for re-incarnation. The cycle of life usually goes from boy to man, but for you, it's gonna mean boy-rat-man.  
  
Sirex looked at me for a moment then flicked a large switch on his control panel.  
  
I started to think something, but my thought were cut short by one small fact.  
  
I was dead . . . .  
  
I awoke, in a human form. I needed air! I burst out of the ball I was tucked in, kicking towards the surface of the tank.  
  
My human lungs filled with air. I had never felt such joy at the same time, even though it hurt at first, I kept doing it.  
  
I was HUMAN! And I was ALIVE! FREE from the hell I had suffered in for a year, and the hell that I had just visited.  
  
I burst from the tank, onto the floor of the pool ships laboratory complex. Sirex stood there, looking quite smug with himself.  
  
I also saw my rat body, lying dead in the transmitter, and was amazed that I had been that for over a year.  
  
"Well, try it out. See if you can morph." He said.  
  
I quickly composed myself. Lion I thought.  
  
I felt my nose get longer, fans sprout from my mouth and short furr creeping up my spine.  
  
I could morph.  
  
"Excellent, now, to test your new body's endurance."  
  
Sirex took out a human gun-a slug thrower. It was a simple revolver.  
  
He took it, and aimed it at my chest.  
  
Before I could stop him, he fired.  
  
But I didn't die, in fact, I felt good, fine, the same as before. The bullet hadn't gone through me at all. Just a bit of blood on the surface. I hadn't even felt the pain. This new body outdid the old one, 100 %!  
  
"Excellent, the stimulants we fed the clone are taking effect. This is the fourth clone of you I completed, but as the other three were, shall we say, inferior, I had them terminated."  
  
He continued. "Thus, your actual name is David Taggart, Clone # 4, series 653, model 13, B.H."  
  
"B.H.?" I said, using my human mouth for the first time.  
  
"Bounty Hunter. With that designation, no Yeerk can touch you." He said as he smiled.  
  
It was now time to put my plan into action. I didn't want the Yeerk empire making me their errand runner, their bitch. No way in hell would I work for them. They infested my whole family, caused Steph to be killed.  
  
I had my own agenda.  
  
With super human speed, I grabbed Sirex by the throat, and threw him into the Mental Transfer Chamber, shutting the steel door behind him.  
  
"Goodbye Sirex. I thank you for freeing me from my morph, but I cannot allow you to live. The empire is my enemy just as much as the Animorphs, and I cant have their leading scientist alive to give them information, now can I?"  
  
He looked at m, with a terrified look in his eye.  
  
The look of a man who knows he is about to die.  
  
Sirex had told me after we had arrived on the ship a bit more about mental transfers. If the original body wasn't hooked up to a new body, the memory would be sent into zero space, preserved for all time, eternally self aware.  
  
Sirex was on a one way trip to limbo.  
  
"Bye-bye Sirex. Say hi to Satan when you get to hell."  
  
I pulled the switch.  
  
I saw Sirex's host twitch, jerk around for a moment, then fall limp. His very soul was, at this moment, entering Z-space for all eternity. An eternal life from which he could not die.  
  
I pulled myself away from the control board, and calmly, like a professional, I played it Bogart and walked to my Blade Ship. I was thousands of miles away before they even knew what I had done.  
  
Now for my next objective: Get the Box, by any means necessary…… 

  
  
  
  


FLASH!

FLASH!

FLASH!

  
  


_What happened?_ I thought. _They were Beasts. Do I have a mark? Will I destroy the universe?_

  
  


_Answer me, Puck!_

  
  


_"If we shadows have offended_

_Tough shit- 'Twas what I intended_

_That you have but slumber'd here_

_While these visions did appear._

_And this weak and idle theme,_

_No more yielding than a dream._

_Else the **Puck** a liar call:_

_So 'Good Night' unto you all."_

  
  
  
  
  
  


I woke up. Images from my dream made my head physically hurt. No. No dream. I called out to him, the one named Puck. 

  
  


I was the Beast of this world. 

  
  


But if I was a Beast, what is my Mark?

  
  


*****************************************************************************************************************

  
  


The Beast named David Moonbeam was written by Britz. You can read more about David Moonbeam in "Moonbeam's War"

  
  


The Beast named David Schmidt was written by DJ Eagal. You can read more about David Schmidt in a fic coming soon.

  
  


The Beast named David Berenson was written by Ryan Griffin. You can read more about David Berenson in "Manimals". 

  
  


The Beast named David Taggart was written by Elcolo9. You can read more about David Taggart and the origins of Puck in "The Antimorph Chronicles, the Director's Cut" and "The Antimorph Saga"

  
  


The AniCorps. is coming.


	42. Roman Numerals

  
  


**_February 11, 2000_****_7:50 PM_**

  
  


"What the fuck am I doing here?" I asked myself aloud. Western High's Valentine's Day Dance. As per usual I was having an awful time.

  
  


Bird and Blue looked uncomfortable in their human morphs. Aximili hates missing his eyes and tail. Tobias, well, Rachel makes things complicated for him. Rachel didn't look to happy either. Tobias was probably resisting dancing with her. Melissa was chatting with her. I hadn't talked to her all night. I woke up this morning with the desire to talk to her about that strange dream I had. How it was more than a dream. It was much more . . .

  
  


Any ways, no such luck yet. 

  
  


"Is there a reason why you're staring at Rachel?" Marco said from behind me. "You're not developing a crush on the psycho are you? Cause that's just scary. You two getting married and having little baby sociopaths." 

  
  


I was actually staring at Melissa. "Marco, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't talk about things you know nothing about. Of course, then you'd actually be silent."

  
  


"Oh, Ha Ha. Look who took his funny pills this morning."

  
  


"Why don't you go bug someone with a real sense of humor?" I asked.

  
  


"You know, you guys all need learn to chill out. I swear to God . . ." Marco lamented as he went to go harass Rachel and Tobias. Melissa had left Rachel while I was talking to Marco. Who knows where.

  
  


_Romeo and Juliet._ Tobias was fond of referring to himself and Rachel in that fashion. If he was Romeo, I was definitely Hamlet, and Melissa my unfortunate Ophelia.

  
  


"Penny for your thoughts." I heard Melissa say from behind me. I turned around and her expression went wide. "Terry!"

  
  


Oh yeah, I was in Terry Stevens morph. 

  
  


"Of course, you'd be Terry. Why not? I saw 'Terry', but my mind . . ." Melissa stammered. 

  
  


"It's all right." I said trying to keep her from talking anymore. 'The whole morphing thing' as Melissa calls it was still difficult for her to handle. She was still getting used to the fact that she is dating David Hunting and that Terry Stevens is just a fake person that David can turn into. David can turn into other things, too.

  
  
  
  


"This is weird." Melissa said. "Is this weird?"

  
  


"My entire life is weird. Day in. Day out."

  
  


A slow song started. Well, semi-slow song. Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris". Melissa beckoned me to dance with her and I obliged. For a while, it was nice. To avoid looking at my face, Melissa placed her head on my shoulders, but even Melissa could tell that the shoulders were not mine. Too high up and not big enough. My Terry Stevens morph was a foot taller than Melissa at 5'11, while I in my natural state was 5'8, almost 5'9. 

  
  


"And I don't want the world to see me, 

cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am."

  
  


"I wish I could dance with you. The real you." Melissa said.

  
  


"It's dark enough."

  
  


Melissa lifted her head really quickly. "David, don't."

  
  


Too late. As the instrumental part of the song picked up, I was rapidly demorphing, I was David. Melissa grabbed my head and tried to hide my face in her hair. It was awkward because I was still between nine and ten inches taller than her. Very silly. Her hair smelled very nice, though. No hair spray. That's always good.

  
  


"You're going to get yourself caught."

  
  


"What? You asked for it."

  
  


"Oh, _now_ you do what I ask."

  
  


"Fine. I'll morph back. Then you can tell me to do something else." I offered. I morphed back anyway, when I caught Tobias hurriedly leaving the gym. Melissa and I followed him but hung back when Mr. Chapman started following him. We saw Rachel stalling Chapman from getting an escaping Tobias who was climbing over steel gates when Melissa pulled me aside.

  
  


"Let's go."

  
  


"What? Now?"

  
  


"While my father and your friends are occupied."

  
  


We escaped the school, and walked quickly to the corner of the block. 

  
  


"I'm ready." Melissa said.

  
  


"For what?" I asked stupidly.

  
  


"To watch you morph."

  
  


"To wa--?" I stammered as I realized. "Oh. Yeah. Right." For a second I thought she meant something else. "Any requests?"

  
  


"Something I can ride. My feet hurt like hell." Melissa said.

  
  


_Again, taken out of context . . . _ I pushed aside my sexually idiotic thoughts. "I have a horse morph. Saddle not included."

  
  


"That's fine."

  
  


I looked at her as I morphed. I guess I wanted to make sure she was watching. I wanted to do it majestically. I guess I wanted to impress her. I focused on the size increase and general shape change. My legs lengthened and reshaped. My nose jutted out. My blond hair became a gray mane. The last things to change were my arms. They became horse front legs. I was able to keep my balance so I looked like a horse in "calvary" position. I put all four hooves on the ground and let Melissa mount me. And then I let her ride me. I then I took two seconds to laugh at all the double entendres before focusing on galloping at a speed that won't make Melissa fall off my back. I wish I had more practice in this morph, but I haven't morphed this since that night I went racing with Cassie.

  
  


_Don't think of her now, idiot! Focus! At least you didn't think of Stephanie. DAMNIT!_

  
  


__So where are we going?

  
  


"Sandy Hook Beach. There's this spot I used to go to with Scottie." She said. I felt her tense up upon mentioning his name. "Sorry. You didn't need to know that."

  
  


Not particularly, no.

  
  


We got to the beach and we passed the time. Ok, we made out, but the less it was about half an hour later before our lips were available for conversation again.

  
  


"What are you thinking about?" Melissa asked me.

  
  


"I dream I had."

  
  


"Good or bad? Am in it?" She asked right away.

  
  


"Bad and no."

  
  


Melissa grumbled, more at the fact that I had a bad dream. She knows those make me grumpy. "What is it this time? More insane visions?"

  
  


"Yeah. Explanation of the whole Beast thing." I said. "I had a bunch of images of other beasts from other universes. They all had the mark."

  
  


"What mark?"

  
  


"The Beast Mark. 666, in some way, shape, or form."

  
  


"Do you have one?" Melissa asked.

  
  


"No numbers anywhere on my body." I said.

  
  


"Well, what were the others like?"

  
  


"Most of them fell into the birthmark, scar, or tatoo category."

  
  


"Do you have any of those?"

  
  


"One of each, actually."

  
  


"Really?" Melissa said, intrigued. "Show me your birthmark."

  
  


"I don't think you want to see it."

  
  


"Yes, I do."

  
  


"Oooookay." I said. I got up and slid the right side of my pants down, showing half an ass-cheek. 

  
  


"'DC'?"

  
  


"What? No, you're looking at sideways. See? It's the Zodiac symbol for Taurus."

  
  


"I thought you were an Aries."

  
  


"I am, but nonetheless I have Taurus the Bull on my ass."

  
  


Melissa chuckled. "Pull up your pants, David. Where's your scar?"

  
  


I re-buckled my belt and parted my hair in a specific place. I bent down to Melissa could see it. "See that jagged line and the line that crosses it? Where hair grows no more?"

  
  


"What happened there?"

  
  


"You wouldn't believe me."

  
  


"Tell me!"

  
  


"Lightning struck a tree I was under. The branch came down and conked me on the head. I was asleep for seventeen hours."

  
  


Melissa laughed again. "And the tatoo?"

  
  


I took off my shirt and showed her the underside of my left arm. "See those?"

  
  


"VI?"

  
  


"I'm twelve years old. I live in Seattle. Grundge-Mecca. I just got Spawn, so I decide I'm going to be bad-ass and get the word 'VIPER' tatooed on my arm. The guy got the V and the I before my father found me and dragged me home."

  
  


Melissa laughed a third time. "The things that happen to you."

  
  


"Yeah. I'm glad I'm so entertaining. Still, I don't have anything that constitutes a Beast Mark. No numbers."

  
  


"Just a bunch of letters. The ones on your bum are just fate I guess. Your head was bad luck, but it was your stupid choice for the 'VIPER'!" Melissa said, laughing again.

  
  


"What did you say?"

  
  


"'VIPER'. It was stupid."

  
  


"No, the whole thing."

  
  


"Bum was fate. Head was bad luck and your arm was a stupid choice." Melissa paraphrased.

  
  


"Fate. Chance. Choice. One of the beasts tried to destroy the universe using three stones. The Hexstone of Fate. The Hexstone of Chance and the Hexstone of Will. You said the same thing to me once. How they each play a part in our lives."

  
  


"And I was right. They each gave you silly letters on your body."

  
  


"Letters?"

  
  


"You say it's Taurus the Bull, but it looks like DC to me. And you got the VI yourself."

  
  


"What about my scar?"

  
  


"That's a couple of letters too." She said as she drew my scar in the sand. "See? It kind of looks like an L and an X."

  
  


"DC, LX, VI. DCLXVI." I repeated. "Oh, shit."

  
  


"What?"

  
  


"Roman Numerals. D=500, C=100, L=50, X=10, V=5, I=1. DCLXVI is six hundred sixty six."

  
  


"666?"

  
  


"I am a beast. And this is my mark."

  
  


"So does that mean you'll destroy the universe?"

  
  


"I'm not sure. Now that I think about . . . I might not. I never saw any of them destroy the universe. Just what their plans were. I know Moonbeam failed. I think they all did. One of them explained how the purpose of the Beast was to raise some demon lord, which can only happen when a dimension is destroyed. Once one is gone, the others fall like dominos."

  
  


"But we haven't fallen yet."

  
  


"Which means all of those Beasts failed."

  
  


"So you're going to fail too?"

  
  


"Maybe. But if I don't destroy the universe, I'd like it to be because I didn't want to, not because I tried to and failed."

  
  


"You won't destroy the universe." Melissa said very matter-of-factly.

  
  


"Why are you so sure?"

  
  


"Because."

  
  


"Because why?"

  
  


"Just because. Don't argue with me." She said with false snippiness. She then kissed me. "I swear, it's the only way I can get you to shut up."

  
  


"Very cute." I said. "I think I should go." 

  
  


"Why?" Melissa asked.

  
  


"I have a mission in the morning. We have to destroy the AMR once and for all."

  
  


"Be careful." Melissa said to me. 

  
  


"Do you need a ride back?"

  
  


"No, I'll walk." She said. "I need to think."

  
  


"Ok."

  
  


We had a meeting the next morning, but the mission wasn't until that night. Our plan was to let Tobias be captured and let the Yeerks use the AMR on him. Because hawk is his true form, they'll believe the ray doesn't work. Rachel will hitch a ride on him and then fly back to us so that we can break in and rescue Tobias and destroy the AMR for good measure. I wasn't too thrilled with this plan. Neither was Rachel. For once we were in agreement.

  
  


We failed. Tobias was captured, but Rachel was gassed. She couldn't tail them. And now we had no idea how to save him. 

  
  


So we sacrificed a sick eagle that was in Cassie's barn. He was terminally ill. We morphed fleas and found where they were keeping him. This was several hours later. After hours of what I'm sure was torture. Literally.

  
  


I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't expecting this.

  
  


We burst into the room. A lion, a tiger, a bear, a wolf, and a gorilla. Aximili was already in there, and Tobias . . . .

  
  


Trapped inside a glass cube. He looked battered. He looked like shit. He looked hurt and not just physically.

  
  


When I first joined the Animorphs, I thought of Tobias as sub-human. I wouldn't kill a human back then. How things have changed. Tobias is now one of my closer friends. He, Aximili, and I have this sort of bohemian fraternity between us. 

  
  


It angered me greatly that he was tortured like this. Who did this? I'll kill him.

  
  


I found the leader. In a room full of Hork-Bajir-Controllers, he was the only human. He was a she. A sub-visser apparently. She looked like . . . . .

  
  


Oh God. 10? I shouted idiotically.

  
  


"Who said that? Who called me that!" said the mad Sub-visser.

  
  


I demorphed into David Hunting. 

  
  


"Ah! The morph-human." 10/the Sub-visser said. "Visser Three will reward me for your capture."

  
  


I morphed into Terry Stevens. I don't know what I was expecting. A yeerk wouldn't care about the sexual past of its host. At least they shouldn't. However, as soon as I morphed. It looked like I had punched the Sub-visser in the stomach. "No." she whispered. "NOOOOOOOO!"

  
  


She threw a punch. I caught a metal fist. 

  
  


And she had such soft hands. "10? What happened to you?"

  
  


"I was beautiful. Everyone wanted me. Scott wanted me. Half her male teachers wanted her. You wanted me. You had me." She said for all to hear. She was speaking as if she were both the yeerk and the girl. She . . . it . . . they were insane. "Then the fire. I was a freak. To be cast aside like a piece of human garbage. All humans are garbage! Especially you! You fucked her and never call her back. You used me like so many men before you!" 

  
  


10 was choking me now. Hands that were once soft and inviting were now metal instruments of death. Tobias in Andalite morph struck her with the flat end of his tail blade. "You!" she shouted. She grabbed Tobias and threw him over a balcony above the Yeerk Pool. I was about to rescue him, but Rachel got to her first. 

  
  


_Stay out of it, David. _I demorphed and morphed back into lion and I fought. I fought Hork-Bajir till there were no Hork-Bajir to fight. Then I went home. 

  
  


What was Taylor saying to you? Tobias asked me.

  
  


Taylor? I vaguely remember that being her real name. She knew Terry. Biblically.

  
  


You mean?

  
  


Yeah. I think that was before she became . . . that.

  
  


Stephanie was a controller. 10 was a controller. Every girl I fuck becomes one of them. What were my feelings for 10? I didn't love her. Not the way I felt for Steph. Not the way I felt for Cassie. Or even the way I feel about Melissa, but I think for a small instant during that time where we were "healing each other", I loved her. It would be almost impossible not too. I'm not like that. I'm not the kind who can just have meaningless sex. What happened between 10 and me was meaningful even if the meaning was just verification that we were not undesirable. I was not in love with her, but I always remembered her fondly. 

  
  


And it saddened me deeply that she became that monster. 

  
  


Tobias pitied her. I could tell. But he also feared her. It would be impossible not to. She brought him so much pain. She brought me so much pleasure, and we were the two who understood her the most. 

  
  


Rachel will kill her the next chance she gets. I'm sure of that. 

  
  


Maybe I can save her. It seems childish, naive, and stupid, but I have to try. 

  
  


I owe it to her.


	43. Advent of the End

  
  
  
  


**_March 14, 2000_**

  
  


One Year. Tomorrow it'll be one year. One year ago I was a new kid starting a new school. A year ago, I was human. I was a virgin. I was average.

  
  


Now it has all changed. I'm not a virgin. I have been decimated by the one woman I have ever completely loved. I fell in love with another, found instant gratification with a third, and found a much more lasting and peaceful satisfaction with a fourth. I'm not average. And I'm barely human. I can turn into all sorts of birds and beasts. And I just may be _the _Beast. I have met more aliens than I can list. I've been infested by one. And I have killed. 

  
  


It's been one year since a chance encounter, a fateful discovery, or a bad choice (I'm still not sure which) condemned me to a life of war.

  
  


And One Year later, I finally make some progress.

  
  


We were on the Hork-Bajir planet. Three days ago we were approached by an Arn named Quafijinivon, the last of his kind. He wished to engineer a species of Neo-Hork-Bajir using samples of Hork-Bajir DNA from the Free Colony of Terra Firma. He was my way. As long as there was one of them and he had the capabilities, he was only way my plan was going to work. 

  
  


Fuck you, Puck. And fuck you too, Calvca. I will change my destiny for the good.

  
  


But first we had to do this one task. Before their deaths, Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan and Dak Hamee hid away a giant yeerk transport of weapons. They would be the arsenal for the Neo-Hork-Bajir. But only Aldrea could find the weapons and Aldrea was dead.

  
  


So we did the next best thing. Quafijinivon had the Ixcila of Aldrea, her stored persona. And we "installed" it into Cassie. Wasn't my first choice. Anyway, with Cassie possessed by a dead Andalite, the Animorphs, Toby, and Quafijinivon all head to the Hork-Bajir planet to recover Aldrea's weapon stash. 

  
  


Need I tell you we were successful?

  
  


After the mission, I talked to Quafijinivon about my idea. Like Calvca, he thought it was insane, but could work.

  
  


Did you get the sample? I said in a tub.

  
  


"Yes. This creature is quite magnificent. And quite deadly. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

  
  


"Positive." I said as I finished demorphing. "Now you should have enough samples to make my idea."

  
  


"Yes and anything else I can simply engineer from scratch. This is not the most complicated thing the Arn have ever created."

  
  


"So it'll work?"

  
  


"Biologically, yes. Politically, unknown. I'm not sure they'd go for it."

  
  


"They will. I'm almost sure of it."

  
  


"What if this makes them even more of a nuisance?"

  
  


"They're only a nuisance because they have to be. This will solve that."

  
  


"I hope so, David." Quafijinivon said solemnly.

  
  


"Me, too."


	44. Factions

**_May 12, 20007:14 PM_**

  
  


My sixteeth birthday passed without incident. I was able to spend the day with Tobias and Aximili. We flew to the Gardens and got in on the two-wing discount. We rode Roller Coasters. We *gasp* had fun. The Gardens premiered a new ride where the Roller Coaster tunnels through a dark cave. Even Tobias found that one thrilling.

  
  


"Can't see. Narrow passage ways. That's one way to scare a hawk."

  
  


That night, I went on a date with Melissa. I was in Terry Stevens morph. Melissa has finally got used to the fact that we are the same person. Me being the insanely jealous type, won't let her kiss me as Terry.

  
  


I know; I'm stupid. 

  
  


Ayla even got in the spirit of my birthday and found me a comprehensive "Piloting Spacecraft for Dummies" how-to manual from a Skrit Na database. Since 16 is driving age, I should know how to drive all kinds of ships, according to Ayla. Silly girl.

  
  


Then we had the fiasco involving a human controller who was a self-help guru. At the same time Marco was having a breakdown because his not-so-widowed father was remarrying his math teacher.

  
  


And if I got the grades Marco got in math, I'd be in trouble too.

  
  


But both were solved, and now we're all invited to the wedding. 

  
  


I would not be bringing Melissa. Nevermind that the other Animorphs would be there, you just don't bring your girlfriend to a wedding.

  
  


Tobias had his sixteenth birthday too. Aximili, Rachel, and I found the perfect gift for him. 

"Guys, bad enough I'm in human morph, but now with my eyes closed, I'm really getting nervous. I don't like losing my sight."

  
  


"Just hold your horses." Rachel said.

  
  


"This creature is quite fiesty. Fiiiiiiieeeesteeee."

  
  


"Shhhh, be quiet." I said.

  
  


"Ok. Open your eyes." Rachel said as Tobias stared disbelieving at the creature Aximili was attempting to hold. 

  
  


I wanted to get him a gift for his birthday. Kind of a thank you for dragging me to the Gardens. Rachel and Aximili went with me. When we stopped at the Animal shelter, it was Rachel who recognized him.

  
  


"Dude?" Tobias said incredulous. "Oh my God! Where did you find him?"

  
  


"At a shelter. You're uncle must have put him there after you disappeared."

  
  


"I can't keep him in my meadow. He'll run away from me. Predators might eat him."

  
  


"I'm afraid our scoop will be out. Megadeth might attack him." Aximili said.

  
  


"Is it my fault he's territorial?" I said. 

  
  


"I don't think I'd wake up one morning to find Dude scratching my hooves. Hooooovvvvzzzzzz."

  
  


"We can take him to the Valley. The Hamees will take care of him."

  
  


"Yeah. That'll be good." Tobias said. "Thanks guys."

  
  


It was a little thing, I guess. Rachel and I felt proud of it. I guess I thought for awhile we were friends now. I guessed wrong. This afternoon she and her stupid cousin pulled this shit on me.

  
  


"David can we talk to you?" Jake said. He, Rachel, and Marco came to the Scoop. Aximili had just returned from grazing. 

  
  


"What about?" I asked. 

  
  


"Your nightly phone calls."

  
  


Uh-oh. I had been using Ayla to communicate with the Hork-Bajir planet . Asking Quafijinivion how our project was coming along. I asked Ayla to shield the transmission. She says she couldn't because her current "shell" (by which she means my computer) restricts her power. She's been bugging me for weeks to steal at the very least a Yeerk computer so she could have "room to stretch". So the best she could do was shield Quafinivion's receiving end so the Yeerks over there would be clueless and to distort the origin of the signal here on Terra Firma. So I have Ayla distort it to some random coordinates in the Jersey area. And the Yeerks have never caught on. 

  
  


But the Animorphs have it seems.

  
  


"Erek says that every now and then, Bug Fighters are dispatched to chase some 'phantom z-space transmission' The Yeerks can't trace it and neither can the Chee. Which leads me to believe Dayang Encryption is involved. And the only one of us who has ever met a Dayang is you."

  
  


"Toby says you talked a lot with Quafijinivon while we were on the Hork-Bajir Home World. You were alone with him in his lab for three hours, David." Marco said. "And now someone is making Z-space transmissions and bouncing the signal around at random to confuse Yeerks."

  
  


"So what if I am? Who is it hurting? I waste the Yeerks' time and resources. So what if you don't know everything about it, Mighty Jake?"

  
  


"'Who is it hurting?' Your random relays led a Bug Fighter right to one of Toby's raid Parties. They were attempting to raid a Yeerk Base in Pennsylvania, and YOU tipped them off."

  
  


Oh shit. "Did she lose anyone?"

  
  


"No. Out of chance." Rachel added.

  
  


"Look, it was an accident. Bad luck."

  
  


"My point is, David, that Toby is going to try again tonight to raid that facility and they will be walking into a trap. Toby knows this but both she and her father are stubborn as hell. She won't tell us where the raid is because she thinks we'll try to stop her."

  
  


"Why is this raid so important?"

  
  


"That's not the point, David!" Marco yelled. "You got them into that mess. You figure out how to get them out of it!"

  
  


"Or else what?" I said defensively. "You know what? It doesn't matter. I don't want Hork-Bajir colony to suffer any more than you do. I'll figure something out."

  
  


I noticed a Hawk landing on a tree above me and an osprey landing near Jake and demorphing. Tobias and Cassie. 

  
  


I could find where Toby is probably holding her raid, but I don't want Jake to find out how. I morphed to Dayang and went to my computer. Ayla, Thought-speech mode. Dayang secret mode.

  
  


We haven't tested it yet. Ayla said. You're going to blow out my circuits.

  
  


I will not blow out your circuits. I insisted.

  
  


Maybe if I were in a _Yeerk_ computer.

  
  


I sighed.

  
  


"What the hell is that?" Marco said in regards to my morph.

  
  


"What's going on?" Cassie asked in regards to Jake, Rachel, and Marco crowding me.

  
  


"David has some fixing to do." Jake said, answering Cassie's question. "Ax, do you know what David is right now?"

  
  


He is a Dayang.

  
  


"Why can't I read the screen?" Rachel asked.

  
  


Dayangs have three eyes. Two simple. One compound. The Compound is unique in that is can see at a specific light frequency that is invisible to us. All Dayang computers operate under this principle. It would make them the perfect spies, but they prefer to be merchants. Aximili explained.

  
  


"So David is hiding something from us." Jake concluded.

  
  


I have traced where I bounced the signal last night, David Ayla said.

  
  


Any Yeerk outposts in the area? I asked.

  
  


Here. Ayla said. Marking a position on the map on the screen that only I can see.

  
  


Specifications.

  
  


"David, are you listening?" Jake said, annoyed. 

  
  


No. I quickly answered and went back to work.

  
  


"You know, you are fast becoming a real nuisance to us. You do things on your own. You do crazy things. You whine and bitch constantly. You are becoming a danger to our cause, David."

  
  


"And you're carrying on with Melissa Chapman." Rachel flatly accused.

  
  


Oh, great. "Is this true, David? Are you in some kind of relationship with Melissa?" Cassie asked.

  
  


"Are you fraternizing with the daughter of the host of a high-ranking controller?" Jake rephrased. 

  
  


Oh, fuck you! 'Fraternizing'? Damn soldier wanna-be! I commented.

  
  


"Look, David. This is how it is. If you go around following your own agenda of questionable motives, then we can't have you around. You're just a danger to us. And you're against what we stand for!"

  
  


No, Prince Jake! I do not agree! Aximili said. David's methods may be questionable, but his motives are not. Aximili never questions Jake.

  
  


"He's not a danger to us. Only to himself." Cassie said.

  
  


What the hell do you mean . . . . I started.

  
  


Focus, David! Ayla reminded me privately.

  
  


"He may have told Melissa everything. If Chapman finally does have her infested, we'll be screwed." Rachel said.

  
  


"And to top it off, he's FUCKING NUTS!" Marco said.

  
  


No, Marco. No, Prince Jake. David is not a threat to us. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't threaten him. Aximili said.

  
  


"Excuse me?" Jake said, bewildered.

  
  


Please, do not threaten David. Aximili said. My Prince.

  
  


"Cassie?" Jake pleaded. Cassie stood her ground with Aximili.

  
  


No noticed that Tobias was morphing to human till Jake turned to him. "Tobias?"

  
  


"David has his faults. He's a bit contradictory. He's a bit . . . off. But I have faith. He may break our rules. He may do things his own way. He may be a loner. But he's not a threat to us. David believes in our cause, and most of all he believes in you, Jake. David would never do anything to purposefully hurt us."

  
  


"What if I don't agree, Tobias? What if I decide that David is a problem?" Jake asked.

  
  


Tobias drew in a breath. "Then . . . _We'll_ have a problem." 

  
  


I had split the Animorphs into factions. The Pro- and Anti-David groups.

  
  


Jake and Tobias stared each other down for a while. Rachel felt betrayed. Jake felt betrayed. Cassie, Tobias, and Aximili are probably worried on how standing up for me will affect their standing with Rachel and Jake.

  
  


I printed out cooridinates and demorphed.

  
  


"The base Toby is raiding is here. It's a science lab. A lot of Human-controllers. But also a small army of Hork-Bajir. Sub-Visser Forty-nine is there. A Hork-Bajir-controller. He runs the joint is known for being particularly smart and brutal."

  
  


Jake took the coordinates from my hand and looked at me.

  
  


"How can you possible know all that?" He asked me.

  
  


I ignored him. "Shall we go?" I asked.

  
  


We flew in awkward silence.

  
  


Normally flying several hundred yards apart is annoying, but this night, it was comforting. The sun was setting as we found Toby and Jara and a gaggle of Hork-Bajir. We stopped them and Jake told them a plan he had come up with. 

  
  


Maybe they didn't fly in silence.

  
  


"If you feel you can avoid whatever trap they have in store, then please, help us."

  
  


"Ok. Cassie will morph Jara." Jake began. "Marco and I will morph our hork-bajir morphs and the three of us will sneak into the base just as you would. Rachel, Ax, David, and Tobias will morph bugs onto us. That way if anything goes wrong they'll back us up."

  
  


"We'll alert you of any danger to your people, Toby." Tobias said.

  
  


"Wait for us to give you the word before you storm in, ok?" Jake said.

  
  


"Ok. This raid not like other raids. This raid is important! Important to Jara!" Jara said.

  
  


"We know, Jara. We'll do what we can, but you and Toby are more important. The Mind and Heart of the Free Colony." I said.

  
  


"Free or Dead!" Jara exclaimed.

  
  


"My thoughts exactly."

  
  


I did as Jake said. I morphed a scorpion and hopped a ride on Cassie's back. I figured only she would trust me. Rachel and Tobias went fly. Ax went Spider. Cassie, Jake, Marco snuck into the base. For some reason, Toby wanted us to go straight to Sub-visser Forty-nine. It wasn't long before the three of them fell into a trap. 

  
  


"Ah. Jara Hamee. And only two rebels? You underestimate us, Jara. Especially since we were expecting you! It will be pleasure doing away with you."

  
  


Alright guys, now! Jake commanded. 

  
  


Tobias, Rachel, and Aximili crawled or flew off. I stayed on. As several Hork-Bajir controllers held Dracon Beams ready, seven Human-controllers stepped forward to shackle the Jake and the others. One grabbed for Cassie. I made my move.

  
  


"Ah!" Something stung me!" said the Human-controller. "Uuuuuh! It hurts!"

  
  


"Look! On the ground!"

  
  


"A scorpion?"

  
  


"Andalites!"

  
  


The Human-Controllers tried to find me, but I found a dark place and re-morphed. As Ursa Wulvef, I emerged from I think was a bathroom. I fell in with some Hork-Bajir soldiers and made my way to the room where Jake, Cassie, and Marco were captured. They were shackled and accompanied by an Andalite, a hawk, and a grizzly. The others were captured too.

  
  


"Good, the Andalite bandits will be excellent test subjects for our latest creation." Sub-visser Forty-nine said.

  
  


There is only six! said a familiar, heart-stopping thought-speech voice. Visser Three. Where is the seventh? Are you sure these three Hork-Bajir are the bandits?

  
  


"This one is." Sub-Visser Forty-nine said, pointing to Jake in morph. "Jara looks to him. Whether he be the real Jara or an andalite in morph, he'd only look to another Hork-Bajir if he were an Andalite in morph. Perhaps even the leader."

  
  


"You're one smart cookie." I whispered. 

  
  


"And you're not!" A voice said. I turned around and saw a human controller with a dracon beam. I think I saw him fire.

  
  


I woke up in a silver ball. Metal that vibrated. Where am I? I shouted.

  
  


You're in Sub-Visser Forty Nine's latest invention. The Ramonite Compacter. This ball will squeeze you until you're a hyperdense ball of matter, then translate you into Z-space to let you drift among the free-floating protons, neutrons, and electrons.

  
  


I felt the ball closing in around me. Where are the Andalites? I shouted

  
  


Once this proves successful on you, we'll threaten your comrades with it. I will squeeze them until they agree to become controllers. If they refuse, well, no more bandits!

  
  


"And don't even think about morphing!" I heard the Sub-visser say in a muffled voice. "Even if you morph a flea, the Ramonite Compacter will destroy you . Your exoskeleton will collapse and you'll impale yourself on your own body parts!"

  
  


I had already demorphed and began morphing flea. Already it was getting tight. I reversed the morph and almost killed myself. _Flea is my smallest morph. I don't have anything smaller!! Well, maybe AS small._

  
  


I began morphing the smallest creature without an exoskeleton I have. Helmacron.

  
  


I instantly had much more room. Soon the Ramonite Compacter which would have had David the human in a fetal position by now was now a super large room. I grew two extra legs where my genitalia should be. My hands each grew one finger. The silver skin-tight uniform of the helmacron soldier replaced my green and black morphing suit. My head flatened and my eyes moved up to the top. My skin turned purple. 

  
  


During all of this, my spherical prison was rapidly shrinking around me. I had fully morphed the Helmacron and the Ramonite Compacter was still closing in. I could no longer stand so I sat down. I hugged my legs as hard as I could. The corners of my pyramid shaped head were getting squished. My whole body was getting squished. And I was a Helmacron! My four knees were getting pushed into my chest.

  
  


"neeep." I cried weakly. I felt my arms break. My shoulders sprain. Three of legs dislocated. 

  
  


And then, all at once. The compactor stopped. I guess it had limits. I survived. And I was feeling really claustrophobic. I kicked the wall with my one good leg. My leg went into the Ramonite like it was liquid metal. Maybe I could get out this way. I tried to move my arms and got hit with a sudden jolt of pain. Oh yeah, they're broken. However, I then started to feel them healing. I wasn't sure if the Helmacrons had a healing ability or if it was my morphing powers acting up again. Neither would have surprised me, but my arms were soon good as new. I pushed myself through the Ramonite which was more like metal Swiss Cheese. I was out of there! I was free. My legs were still dislocated, but I all I have to do now is demorph, rescue the Animorphs, grab the Sub-visser and some other Hork-Bajir, and everything will be just . . . . 

  
  


POP!

  
  


I heard a distinct popping sound, and suddenly I was in blank whiteness. Unmorphed. Totally David. No air to shout. I could see my insides. N-dimensional space. I saw a weird-looking space craft . . . . . .

  
  


I woke up in a strange ship. Silver walls with reddish tints. I next saw a particularly unpretty face.

  
  


"Ahh!" I said. "What the hell is that?"

  
  


"Skririk! Ishcallik'da acraka makaf!" said the weird creature. 

  
  


"Griek Kentandros. Griwabadorlas!" said another weird creature.

  
  


I was only a few seconds later did I realize that I understood these two creatures. 

  
  


"Look! It has awaked!" the first creature had said.

  
  


"Get Kentandros. As soon as possible!" the second creature had said.

  
  


Whatever these creatures were, they were known to the Dayangs. Their language was in my database.

  
  


They were insectlike. They stood on four legs that circled a thorax-like appendage. They had a torso with two arms that ended in cumbersome claws. I wondered how they could have built this ship with claws like that. They had an insectlike head with two compound eyes and insect mouthparts. Two antennae whipped around from the top of their heads. Vestigial gossamer wings fluttered from their backs. They varied in color from Green, Red, and Blue.

  
  


The second creature, who was blue and a third creature, who was green, came into the room and grabbed me. They brought me to another red creature who wore a red armband. 

  
  


"*Who and what are you? And why were you flailing about in Zero-space?*"

  
  


Zero-space? Of course. "I am David Hunting. A Homo Sapien from Terra Firma. I do not know how I came about into Z-space. Who and what are you?"

  
  


The lead creature looked at his compatriots. He then looked to a large blue thing that seemed to be piloting the ship.

  
  


"*I am Kentandros, Mak'ra-dich of Mak'ra Mega. I am a Korla from Makkorla. These are my Mak'gers."

  
  


"Sarlocbord." said the green Korla who carried me.

  
  


"Tedg'valtine" said the blue Korla who carried me.

  
  


"Shalcam." said a red Korla I didn't recognized.

  
  


"Mikoja." said the red Korla whose face I had first seen.

  
  


"Argenzane." said a voice from which I did not see. I turned my head toward a Korla who could only be referred to as albino. He also had large gossamer wings that were not vestigial.

  
  


"*Argenzane is a Trantate. A mutant. More and more trantates being born.*" Kentandros explained.

  
  


"*Out of necessity. The Yeerks have taken our Mak. We must trantanize or perish.*" Sarlocbord commented. 

  
  


"*We are slowly damming the avalanche!*" Kentandros said. "*We are getting our Mak back!*"

  
  


Was it the Ellimist that brought me here? Not hardly. I have a feeling I somehow ended up here of my own fault. Either way, I found myself trapped in the middle of something I didn't understand.

  
  


"*Homo Sapien! Are you friend to the Mak and Korla, or foe?*" Kentandros asked bluntly.

  
  


"My name is David. Are you friend or foe to the Yeerk Empire?" I countered.

  
  


Kentandros sneered. With insect-like mouthparts, that wasn't pretty. "*All Korla are foe to Yeerks.*"

  
  


"Then I am friend to Mak and Korla."

  
  


Kentandros smiled, which again wasn't pretty. "*Then come, Homo Sapien. Join our cause. We will take back our Mak.*"

  
  


"*Kentandros! It's Pyrin. He wants us to come back to base.*" said Shalcam.

  
  


"Who's Pyrin?" I asked. 

  
  


"*The Mak'ra-dich for Mak'ra Ginga. He's important, but annoying. MEGA! Let's get this crate home.*"

  
  


It was then I got a good look at the pilot. It was big and blue. Leathery skin. Some fur along the back. It was kind of shaped like a duck. Two large legs. A butt and tail that made it waddle. However instead of a duck neck, there was a big reptilian head. No neck so to speak. It had a throat pouch like a frog that seemed to be attached all the way to the abdomen. It had a big crocodile-like toothy smile and jaw. Green eyes with light blue irises. The creature had two pairs of arms. One large, long, and strong pair that reached the ground like a gorilla's. And one long, slender, weaker pair that seemed to always be held up or touching something. 

  
  


"What's that?"

  
  


"*That's Mega! Our Mak.*" Kentandros said as if I were a great fool. "*She's a very important Mak. A Mak Rey.*"

  
  


"*She's a _girl_, Kentandros!*" said Mikoja as if Kentandros were an even greater fool. "*That would make her a Mak Regine!*"

  
  


According to my translator, Kentandros shot Mikoja a look of annoyance and began speaking to me. "*That reminds me, do not assume gender of any Korla. Mikoja and Shalcam are females and the rest of us are males. Do not get it wrong or we'll be greatly offended. We don't want a repeat of what happened when Ninnpu and Ricmajin joined us.*"

  
  


"Who?" I asked, suddenly very comfortable asking all kinds of questions of this alien life-form.

  
  


"*Two aliens who travel with us. They're back at base. Ninnpu is an Ongachic warrior who also fancies himself a musician. He has a pet bird named Ceadul and the two of them help Mak'ra Kaku. Ricmajin is a Gervasid adolescent who thinks he's a warrior. His fighting style is effective although ludicrous. He works with Mak'ra Oh. After a while Mega will decide with which Mak'ra you'll serve. I should warn you. You'll probably get stuck with Mak'ra Zyu. The Mak'ra-dich just lost a Mak'ger who happened to be his Nest-brother.*"

  
  


I didn't understand half of what he said. However I did get the impression that he expected me to stay.

  
  


"Um, listen. I don't how long I can . . . . . ."

  
  


Kentandros! Bug Fighters! said a voice (I think Tedg'valtine) over the Intercom.

  
  


"Thought-speech?" I asked.

  
  


"*Andalite Technology. Antiques by their standards, but useful for us.*"Kentandros said as he rushed over to an intercom. All Mak'gers report to fighters. "*You too, David.*"

  
  


Uh-oh.

  
  


Mikoja led me to a small ship that I recognized as an Andalite Fighter. A very older model Andalite Fighter. The kind that the Skrit Na manuals describe as 'vintage'.

  
  


"So let me get this straight." I started. "These fighters and this cruiser we're in were used by the Andalites twenty years ago?"

  
  


"*Yes. And then they were given to us.*" Mikoja said brightly. "*Except for _Mega's Wing_, this is all Andalite Technology.*"

  
  


"Mega's Wing?" I repeated. Wing meant the same thing in the Korla-Mak language as it did in English. What are the odds?

  
  


"A ship Argenzane made." Mikoja explained. "Well, Mega _made_ obviously, but Argenzane designed it."

  
  


Of course. Their Korla claws cannot do strenuous activity like building and manufacturing. I wondered if they could even prepare food for themselves.

  
  


Then I realized. They couldn't. That's why Korla need Mak. But do Mak really need Korla?

  
  


Kentandros treated Mega like a slave, however the Korla-Mak culture seemed very Mak-centered. I didn't understand it.

  
  


But that was really the least of my concerns at that moment.

  
  


I stared at the console in front of me. An Andalite Fighter. I have never actually flown one of these things. I've practiced on simulations created by Ayla, but never for real. This isn't like when Marco tries to drive; if I fuck up, I die.

  
  


"Ok nothing to it. This is an older model so I can fire and fly at the same time. Like that makes it better?? No, no negative thinking. Ayla says that hurts my self-esteem. And the fact that I just started a sentence with 'Ayla says' shows how crazy I REALLY AM!"

  
  


Prepare for Launch. said Kentandros.

  
  


"Ok, I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. No, I can't. I'm gonna die."

  
  


Mak'ra Mega! Mobilize! commanded Kentandros.

  
  


Mak'ra Mega! shouted the other Mak'gers as they launched.

  
  


"Here goes nothing." I said as I pressed what I thought was the launch button. I was right, and I blasted ahead. 

  
  


Holy shit. I was actually flying a fucking space ship. 

  
  


"Holy shit, I'm flying in space. Holy shit, I'm flying in space. Holy shit, I'm flying in space. Holy shit, I'm flying in space. Holy shit, I'm flying in space."

  
  


I don't even have my driver's license yet.

  
  


I saw a bug fighter in my view space. I activated the weapons targeting and I fired. The Bug Fighter exploded. I destroyed a Bug Fighter.

  
  


"Holy shit!"

  
  


How are you doing, Alien? Sarlocbord asked over the Fighter's thought-speech radio.

  
  


Now I know how Luke Skywalker felt!

  
  


Who? asked Shalcam

  
  


Nevermind.

  
  


Mak'gers, Blade Ship! warned Kentandros.

  
  


"Oh, please God, no!" I whimpered.

  
  


Who is it? Tedg'valtine asked.

  
  


The new Visser Ninety-eight. A Homo-Sapien-controller, this time. Kentandros explained.

  
  


Like David? Mikoja asked.

  
  


Not quite. This Homo Sapien is not on our side.

  
  


Well, obviously!

  
  


Argenzane! Get in _Mega's Wing_, now!

  
  


Twelve flutters ahead of you, Mak'ra-dich!

  
  


A silver ship sailed above us and headed toward the Blade Ship. _Mega's Wing _looked like a dragonfly. It had three Shredder cannons. One flung above like an Andalite Fighter and one under each wing like a Bug Fighter.

  
  


The Blade Ship flew in confidently, ready to confront _Mega's Wing_. 

  
  


Foolish Noobie! Silver Triple! Argenzane shouted.

  
  


"Grrraaaaaaaaaaaaaarl!" Mega roared in support.

  
  


_Mega's Wing_ fired off all three Shredders. The Blast hit the Blade Ship hard, but it far from crippled the mighty craft.

  
  


Argenzane can't defeat a Blade Ship alone. Shalcam said.

  
  


You're right, Shalcam. Mak'ra United! Kentandros commanded.

  
  


Mak'ra Mega Victory Formation! Mega responed. I got the distinct feeling they've done this before.

  
  


With this prompt, _Mega's Wing_ and five Andalite Fighters flew in alongside the main carrier ship that was piloted by Mega.

  
  


You too, David. Kentandros commanded.

  
  


You're insane. This is suicide!

  
  


One Power of Many. Many Powers of One. Join the Victory Formation, NOW!

  
  


I flew in underneath where there was still room. 

  
  


David's here. Prompt us, Mega! Kentandros commanded.

  
  


One is Many.

  
  


All is One! Kentandros and the other Mak'gers said in unison. Mak'ra Mega!

  
  


Mak'ra Mega! I said, compelled to join in.

  
  


Grrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaarl! Mega roared again.

  
  


Signaled by Mega's roar, Mega and the Mak'gers fired their weapons. For some reason, so did I.

  
  


The united blast hit the Blade Ship full force. The Blade Ship blew apart in a fantastic show of light and shrapnel. It wasn't an explosion per se. There was no fire. (Of course, no air, no fire) But there was a blast of blinding light. And when the light extinguished all that was left were a few pieces of charred metal. 

  
  


That . . . was . . . . impossible. I said, bewildered. The Blade Ship outclassed all of our ships. There was no way that obsolete Andalite Technology should have been able to take down that Blade Ship. But I saw it with my own two eyes.

  
  


Nothing is impossible to a Mak and his . . . _her_ Mak'ra! Kentandros said. Mak'ra Mega!

  
  


Mak'ra Mega Forever! said the other Mak'gers in unison.

  
  


They were like Power Rangers.

  
  


But it's hard to argue with the results.

  
  


We docked with the Carrier and soon we approached "Base".

  
  


"*It was once the Andalite Dome Ship _Adventure Dale_, but now it is _Nala Makkorla_.*"

  
  


Nala meant hope in the Korla-Mak language. Hope of Makkorla.

  
  


I saw many Mak surrounded by groups of Korla. Other Mak'ras I figured out. Some frolicked and played. Many others were training. Training for what? War, of course.

  
  


"This is going to be one of those days." I said.


	45. Quest of Final Judgement

**_May 12, 2000????_**

So here I was on the carrier ship _Mega's Voi'ejar_, heading toward the _Nala Makkorla_. All former Andalite relics, they now belong to the Korla. Actually, the Mak and Korla. Two different species. 

Kentandros, the Mak'ra-dich of Mak'ra Mega, was explaining all of this to me.

"*There are Mak and there are Korla.*" Kentandros started. We were on our way to the _Nala Makkorla_, a former Andalite Dome Ship that was been adjusted to serve the Korla and Mak. "*We have lived together in one society for centuries. But thirty years ago, the Yeerks came. While we Korla were unfit for infestation,*"

"*No ear canals.*" Shalcam clarified.

"*Our Mak, on the other hand, could be infested. Their brute strength made them ideal for non-combat detail work. So the Yeerks began their seizure campaign. First, Nahara Controllers would dig into our nests. Then, the Hork-Bajir controllers came and annihilated us. The Korla-Mak symbiosis existed before either species achieved sentience. We, instinctively threw ourselves in the way of the Hork-Bajir to protect our Mak. Many were killed.

"*While there were more than a million Korla, there were only about 300,000 Mak. The Andalites came to help, but when a second Yeerk Seizure Campaign started on a planet called Pentasera, The Andalite forces became thin-spread. Worse, the Yeerks began importing some of their new S-s-s-stram Controllers from Pentasera to Makkorla. These S-s-s-stram controllers were deadly to us. They soon became the bane of our existence. So, Mak'ra Go, Mak'ra Jakque, and Mak'ra Jay lead a mass exodus of our people, taking some old Andalite Ships, including a Dome Ship. _Nala Makkorla _was founded. We now work to restore our way of life.*"

"*It's becoming easier. The Yeerks cannot breed the Mak properly, so they are having difficulty keeping their numbers up, but now that they have Taxxon, S-s-s-stram, and now Homo Sapien Controllers, Mak-controllers are become obsolete.*" Shalcam said.

"*Many are being used by Yeerks who have been condemned to slavery. They are used as servants or attendants for the Council of Thirteen or for friends of the Empire that they are trying to sway.*" Tedg'valtine added.

"*As Mak are found, new Mak'ras can be formed.*" Kentandros said.

"Ok, explain, Mak'ras, Mak'ra-diches, and all that jazz."

"*Every Mak is bonded to a group of five, six, or seven Korla. The Korla are Mak'gers to this Mak. Together they are a Mak'ra. One Korla serves as head of the Mak'ra. This is called the Mak'ra-dich.*"

"What's a Mak Rey?"

"*A Mak Rey is a special Mak. Almost a Trantate Mak. Mak are usually very slow, like Hork-Bajir, sometimes there is a Mak who is smarter. Almost as smart as a Korla.*"

"Like a Hork-Bajir Seer?"

"*Sort of. They are called Mak Reys. Well, technically, only males are called Mak Reys. Females would be Mak Regines."

"*Makkorla's history is filled with many Mak Reys over the years. The last Mak Regine to have existed lived 3000 years ago.*" Sarlocboard said. "*If she ever existed at all.*"

"*She existed!*" Shalcam insisted. 

Mikoja amended to this by pulling her antennae down so that they were both flat against the sides of her face. My translator implant read this as a rude gesture.

Argenzane made a rapid clicking noise at this. Laughing.

"It seems to me that this symbiosis you speak of is in actuality a form of slavery. Yet you act as if the Mak are the center of your world."

"*The Mak are the center of our world. It is not slavery.*" Kentandros said hotly. "*Mak submits to Korla. Korla cannot live without Mak. It is the Mak who has all the power.*"

"Power? They just do everything you say. It is the Korla who have all the freedom. All the power."

"*Korla can do nothing but give commands. Korla is not free. Mak are free to obey commands or ignore. Mak have all the power. Mak have all the control.*"

I didn't understand it then, but I did not press the issue. Kentandros seemed satisfied with my withdrawal. He probably has had to explain the same thing to the other aliens. This dominant-submissive thing I just don't understand.

We arrived at the dome ship. After a series of corridors we arrived at the bridge.

Utter chaos.

As soon as we came onto the bridge, a Mak jumped in front of us and roared angrily.

"*Stand down, Ginga.*" Mega insisted.

"*No! I am male. I will not submit to female Mak!*" Ginga shouted. 

"*Stand down Ginga!*" said a blue Korla. His name was apparently, Pyrin. The Mak'ra-dich of Mak'ra Ginga. Ginga did as he was told.

"*Now apologize*" said a red Korla. Other Mak'ger for Mak'ra Ginga.

"*I do not mean what I say, Mak Regine. But I am angry. My cub was stolen!*" Ginga said sincerely.

"*What?!*" Kentandros and Mega said in unison. 

"*Oh gave birth already to your son?*" Mikoja blurted.

"*It's true*" said another blue Korla.

"*Who?*" Mega asked. "*Who stole your cub?*"

"*Buraidra*" Ginga answered.

"*Summon Mak'ra GoGoVy and Mak'ra Zyu*" Kentandros commanded of Mega. "*Have them meet me in the conference room*"

"What's happening?" I asked.

"*I must question Mak'ra GoGoVy about the usual and why a newborn cub was stolen while they were supposed to be caring for those type of things on this ship.*"

"And Mak'ra Zyu?"

"*Buraidra is still technically a Mak'ger of Mak'ra Zyu. He is also Rannos's nest-brother.*"

"Rannos is the Mak'ra-dich."

"*Yes. Zyu must answer for the actions of his Mak'ger.*"

"What about his other Mak'gers?"

"*They will be punished too.*"

A Mak'ra led by a green Korla arrived in what Mikoja told me was the Conference room. It was big, but plain. It didn't look like the kind of room an Andalite would build, but who knows?

The Mak bowed and the Korla followed suit. "*Good Day, Mak Regine. Good Day, Mak'ra Mega.*" Zyu recited ceremoniously.

"*Good Day.*" the Mak'gers added.

"*Ask him what happened with Buraidra.*" Kentandros commanded Mega.

Mega asked her question. Rannos provided an answer that Zyu repeated. "*Buraidra entered the ship saying he wanted to reconcile, but instead he gave my Mak'gers a thrashing and commanded me to stand down.*"

"*You did nothing?*" Mega asked, prompted by Kentandros.

"*He is still my Mak'ger. I must obey.*" Zyu answered, prompted by Rannos. 

"*Ask him why he thinks his Mak'ger took Ginga's and Oh's cub.*" Kentandros commanded.

"*Why do you . . .*" Mega started

"*Cut the formality crap, Kentandros!*" Rannos shouted hotly. "*I don't know why Buraidra stole the cub, but I can get him back. Let me get my nest-brother back!*"

"*Rannos! You will step down!*" Kentandros commanded. "*Remember your place.*"

"*Remember your place, Mak'ra Zyu.*" Mega said, seemingly prompted by Kentandros' command.

Rannos ignored them. "*He's possessed. There's something wrong with my brother.*"

"*How so?*" Kentandros asked, seemingly throwing form to the wind.

"*He transformed the same way Jeek did, but Buraidra turned into a Hork-Bajir.*"

"Who's Jeek?" I asked Mikoja.

"*An Andalite Warrior. His full name was Jeekolarous-Lilan-Tecktor. Mak'ra GoGoVy found him. Saved a grub named Kyotancy. She should be hatching out of her cocoon any day now.*"

"*Where is Mak'ra GoGoVy?*" Kentandros asked and Mega repeated.

"*They said something about a Code Orange.*" a different Mak'ger prompted Zyu to say.

As if on cue, a klaxxon sounded and an announcement followed. Intruder! Intruder! Yeerk Forces in Cruiser Bay 01!

"*Damnit! Not again!*" Kentandros cursed. "*Get on the horn, Mega. You know what to do.*"

All Combat Mak'ra report to Cruiser Bay 01 immediately! All Combat Mak'ra report to Cruiser Bay 01 immediately! Code Vaa. Code Vaa.

"*You fight too, Mak'ra Zyu*" Mega commanded.

"*Let's go!*" Kentandros commanded. 

"What's a Code Vaa?" I asked.

"*Vaa is a letter in our language. Vaa for Vigosei. It means battle.*"

"That's just great." I said sarcastically.

Within minutes, eight or nine Mak'ra assembled in a line. All the Mak, Korla, and various aliens (except me) were either outfitted with or brandish metal objects. The purpose of which I didn't understand at the time. 

I stood behind Mak'ra Mega. To my right, behind Mak'ra Car stood what appeared to be an android. I had no idea what its purpose was. To the android's right, behind Mak'ra Oh was an alien I've never seen before. The creature initially reminded me of Reptile from the Mortal Kombat Movie, but much bigger and much, much more muscular. At about six feet tall, he was hunched over in anticipation of the attack. Standing, he was closer to eight feet tall. His skin was green but ripples of silver color swept over him. His skin could change color. (Again like Reptile). His head resembled a Velociraptor but horns where his ears should be and tusks coming from his mouth. His back had numerous short spikes as well as a narrow webbed crest, like a fin, going down his spine to the base of his very long tail. This must have been Ricmajin, the Gervasid Adolescent. I have a vague memory of what a gervasid looks like from Calvca's memories. To Ricmajin's right, behind Mak'ra Kaku was another alien I've never seen. This alien resembled a Klingon but was much shorter and spindlier. His skin was a strange mix of blue and brown with a red and yellow head. This alien had a tail, but it didn't seem to do anything. This alien also had a fixed grin on his face, but I had a feeling this was just a personal trait of his. This was Ninnpu, the Ongachic. A large, white bird (large meaning his body was the size of a tiger and his wingspan could be measured in yards.) chicken-walked behind Ninnpu. Other than his size, the large bird did not have any interesting characteristics.

All the Mak were blue of varying shades and some with green shades and tints. The Korla varied among sizes, shapes, and colors. Among the red, blue, and green korla, there also were orange korla.

The Cruiser Bay was a vast hanger for the fighter ships the Korla used. Hork-Bajir in black uniforms piled in and stood in formation without attacking. That's when I saw a large six foot tall human swagger between the formation. 

"Talk about your Darth Vader complex." I muttered.

"Well, if it isn't the pathetic Korla aggressors." said the human.

"*The new Visser Ninety-eight.*" Kentandros presumed.

"*Has no one told you? We go through a lot of bottom-of-the-rock-pit vissers, like you." boasted the Mak'ra-dich for Mak'ra Car, another red Korla.

"*We must protect the ship.*" said the Mak'ra-dich for Mak'ra GoGoVy, an orange Korla. (Actually, all the Korla in Mak'ra GoGoVy were orange. I found out later that they were all nest-siblings.)

"Hork-Bajir. Get ready." prompted Visser Ninety-eight.

"*Let's do this!*" said the Mak'ra-dich for Mak'ra Oh.

"Zes Mur'fin gine!" shouted Kentandros, which means "Onto Victory!" in English. 

Prompted by Kentandros, Mega roared. The other Mak roared with her. Prompted by the Mak's roars, the Mak'gers assembled in their Mak'ras, what can only be described as 'victory formations' like the one I was a part of in the space battle with the Blade Ship. The Korla with their Mak formed strange formations with their bodies. They were like warrior cheerleaders, with Korla pyramids of death. I morphed into Ursa Wulvef, and I hoped I wouldn't get in the way. Then they sounded off.

"Mak'ra Zyu!"

"Mak'ra Dai!"

"Mak'ra Kaku!"

"Mak'ra Oh!"

"Mak'ra Car!"

"Mak'ra Mega!"

"Mak'ra Ginga!"

"Mak'ra GoGoVy!"

"Mak'ra Time!"

"*MAKKORLA FOREVER!*" said the entire battalion in unison. They _were_ exactly like warrior cheerleaders. Although it's hard to argue with the results.

The Visser had graciously waited for the Mak'ras to finish their routine before commanding the Hork-Bajir to attack. The Hork-Bajir immediately began firing their Dracon Beams. I ducked instinctively. 

It seems that the Visser's move was foolish. Each Mak'ra had somehow emitted an energy shield that deflected all the beams. The ricocheted energy beams effectively killed the Yeerks' front line. Ah, the metal suits. Each Mak was emitting some kind of energy shield, or force field. I assumed it was like the force fields I encountered in the Marriott banquet room on first mission. 

What happened next was a blur. The Visser sent his Hork-Bajir to fight hand to hand. The Mak'ras started to get into their warrior-cheerleader formations. Korla imitated arms, legs, sometimes wings. Their formations would look like monstrous humanoids, serpents, insects, pyramids, or even vehicles. I couldn't get a good look at most of the formations. I got a glance at others. Mak'ra Zyu's formation had Zyu atop three Mak'gers while the other two were swung about by Zyu's long arms. Zyu's short arms were holding aloft two massive Shredder cannons. Mak'ra Kaku's formation looked like a slender humanoid with wings. (The Ongachic's giant bird.) Mak'ra Oh's formation looked incredibly dangerous. A pyramid design firing off any and every weapon in the known universe. If a Hork-Bajir did happen to get close to it, faster than it could blink it was killed by Oh's mighty jaw, the claws of the Mak'gers, or the many natural weapons of the gervasid, the most frightening of which is the tail that seems to grow at will Mak'ra Car's formation actually looked like a car, racing around on wheels. 

The only Mak'ra formation I saw up close was Mak'ra Mega's. Argenzane attached himself to Mega's back. He spread his oversized wings and began to lift her up. Sarlocboard carried what looked like two rockets and bent his legs in a very strange way and grabbed on to Mega's tail. Kentandros carried what looked like a giant blade and attached himself with his feet to the right side of Mega's belly. Tedg'valtine, carrying what looked like a rocket launcher, attached himself to Mega's left side. The girls did the same, Shalcam under the Mak'ra-dich and Mikoja under Tedg'valtine, carrying small shredders. Mega held in her arms yet another giant Shredder cannon. Mak'ra Mega then began to fly around, blasting and slashing at Hork-Bajir very swiftly. I flash-morphed into a lion, not risking getting indiscriminately blown-up as a Hork-Bajir or getting recognized as Visser Three, I killed as many Hork-Bajir as I could, but I was a cherry bomb compared to the swift destruction of the Mak'ras.

The end result was that Visser Ninety-eight and his battalion were decimated, swiftly and promptly. I was flabbergasted. With the Visser dead, the Blade ship retreated. The Mak and the Korla all retreated to their quarters to rest. Another Mak'ra came into the bay to clean up the mess. I was standing there, demorphed, slack-jawed at the carnage. 

"*Nothing is impossible to the Makkorla.*" Kentandros said to me, shaking me out of my funk. 

"That had to be the most effective fighting I have ever seen in my life." I said.

"*Effective? Yes. Perfect? No. We have lost many Korla in the past. None today, but many in the past.*" 

"What about Mak?"

"*Thank the Universe we have lost no Mak. The death of Korla is sad, but the death of a Mak would be a real tragedy. Without Mak, there can be no Korla.*"

"Then why do you treat them like slaves?"

"*They are not slaves, David. We Korla love and respect our Mak. We are quite aware we are parasites, but our love for our Mak has made a spiritual symbiosis. Our job as Mak'gers is to protect our Mak and our fellow Korla. The Mak return our love for them by submiting to us.*"

"And if a Mak does not submit?"

"*A Mak's non-submission is the result of the Mak'gers failure to love their Mak. We have seen this many times.*"

"But surely there have been Mak who have refused to submit." I speculated.

"*Yes, David. You are correct. No matter how much the Korla can love the Mak, there are Mak who will not submit.*"

"What do you do with them?"

"*Nothing.*" Kentandros said. "*There is nothing we can do. As I have said before. Korla are not free. Korla can do nothing but love and give commands. Mak can choose to submit or ignore. Mak have all the freedom. Mak have all the power.*"

"Wow." was all I said.

"Kentandros!" said a red Korla named Pentarg, the Mak'ra-dich for Mak'ra Oh. "*Mak'ra Hurric has spotted Buraidra.*"

At a communications console, the Mak'gers of Mak'ra Kaku relay what they heard from a planet-bound Mak'ra. 

"*My brother and his Mak'gers are sure.*" Kaku said, being prompted by a blue female Korla named Koli, his Mak'ra-dich. "*The renegade is in the Northern Hemisphere of the colony candidate. He his headed for the large island that our cousin Gao and his Mak'gers are located.*"

"*He is avoiding my brother Abra.*" said Zyu, prompted by Rannos. 

"*He should be avoiding all Mak'ra. Something isn't right.*" Kentandros muttered to himself.

"*Let us retrieve our Mak'ger, Mak'ra Mega.*" Zyu plead, again prompted by his Mak'ra-dich.

"*Please, let me get my Nest-brother!*" Rannos pleaded, speaking for myself, this time.

"*Know your place, Korla.*" Kentandros scolded.

At Kentandros' prompt, "*Why should I let you try?*" Mega asked. "*It is far too risky and, I believe, very stupid to allow you to encounter Buraidra.*"

Zyu's other Mak'gers, two blue males, one orange female, and one red female, placed a claw tenderly on Zyu's hide.

Zyu took a breath and said. "*Mak'ra Zyu demands _Wyrdvigon*_". Wyrdvigon, roughly translated, means "Quest of Final Judgement." How odd that it sounds a lot like the Dayang word "Wyrphat'd". 

This declaration seemed to shock the Mak and Korla in the Communication deck. 

"*Rannos, are you sure?*" Mikoja blurted.

"*You know what happened to Mak'ra Neji.*" Kentandros said.

"*Mak'ra Zyu has spoken.*" Zyu said at Rannos prompt, ironically following protocol as Mak'ra Mega breaks it.

At Kentandros' prompt, "*It is so. You will retrieve the cub of Ginga and Oh. Taking all necessary measures against your fellow Mak'ger. If Buraidra's madness can be cured, than do so. If not, than he must be executed.*"Mega decreed.

"*I will save my Nest-brother, Kentandros.*"

I started to feel strange then. I felt light headed. I saw my body flicker, as if I were a ghost or something, but as quickly as it started up it stopped. No Mak or Korla saw what happened.

"Let me go with them, Kentandros."

"*Why?*" Shalcam asked me.

"*Yes!*" said one of the blue males in Mak'ra Zyu. Ceron, I later learned. "He transforms like Jeek did and Buraidra does now.*"

"*Very well*" said Kentandros.

Hours later, I was in Mak'ra Zyu's carrier ship, _Zyu-Juu_. I learned the names of Zyu's Mak'gers. Wollin and Ceron were the blue males. Sabden't was the orange female, and Talia was the red female. Rannos, a green male, was the Mak'ra-dich.

We were headed toward a planet that the Makkorla were considering colonizing. The only problem with it so far is that it is overrun with wild animals and no sentient life. Mak'ra Gao and Mak'ra Abra have been attempting to tame the planet's wildlife. The other Mak'ra there, Mak'ra Hurric was studying it's weather patterns. We landed on a large island about the size of Japan. We were a hundred miles away from Mak'ra Gao's base, but transmissions from both Mak'ra Gao and Mak'ra Hurric pointed us in the right direction.

One Mak, one human, and five Korla walked along the hills and valleys of a strange planet.

"*Do you smell the cub yet, Zyu?*" Sabden't asked.

"*Yes, but it's faint. This way.*" he answered.

"*Andalite morphs. Human morphs.*" Ceron said, thinking out loud. "*Both can do so and keep their wits about them.*"

"*Yet when Korla does it, Korla goes mad.*" Rannos spat bitterly.

"I'm not sure it's the morphing power that's driving your brother mad." I said. "Does he every say anything in his crazy rages?"

"*He likes to say, 'To the destruction of Makkorla! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!'*" Talia dramatized a bit over-dramatically.

"*He also keeps repeating 'My head. My head.' as if he is in pain.*" Rannos revealed.

"That sounds like Yeerk infestation." I said.

"*Inconceivable.*" Ceron concluded. "*Korla is a Class One species.*"

"*The Cub!*" Zyu shouted.

"*Where?*" Wollin asked.

"*Is Buraidra with him?*" Rannos asked.

"*There!*" Sabden't said pointing to a little blue spot running in the valley below us. "*It's alone.*"

"*Meh. That was easy.*" Wollin said flippantly. 

"It's running from something." I said. 

"*From what?*" Zyu blurted. "*Nothing appears to be chasing him.*" Zyu and his Mak'gers all looked into the valley below. I was the only one who looked to the sky. Above a swarm of flying, cat-sized insects, I saw it. A red pterodactyl looking thing with a bifurcated tail and four talons. 

"What the hell is that?"

"*A Metracroyle!*" Ceron shouted.

"*'Metracroyle'?*" Wollin asked, sneering at the apparent ridiculousness of the name.

"*Mak'ra Abra named it. I kind of like it.*" Ceron babbled.

"*It's after the cub!*" Sabden't said worriedly.

"*No, Mak'ra Abra reported that it only eats trees.*" 

That's when we saw the metracroyle snap its beak at one of the insects, swallowing it.

Four korla and one human gave Ceron the stink-eye. 

"You were saying?" I said sarcastically.

"*Let's get the cub!*" Rannos commanded. "*Mak'ra Zyu: Mission Time!*"

"Mak'ra Zyu!" shouted the Mak'gers. Zyu roared.

"I'll distract the bird." I said, as I jumped over the edge of the valley and speed-morphed into a Golden eagle. I nearly tore my wings off in the process, so I won't be doing that again. Meanwhile, Zyu somersaulted down the valley wall as the Mak'gers fluttered down with their wings.

I rose up and slashed the Metracroyle's eye. Ha! Take that!

It shrieked and tried to scissor me with its beak. Ha Ha! I taunted. Missed me. The Metaracroyle opened its beak and shot a stream of green liquid. It hit my wing which instantly dissolved. AAAAAAAH! Acid spit! That sucks!

As I saw the ground rise toward me, I remembered something Aximili once told me. Once, he jumped out of the Blade Ship in atmosphere in morph, he demorphed and remorphed to harrier before he hit the ground. Surely if he could do it, so could I.

I demorphed to human with about twenty yards to go before impact. I flash-morphed to dragonfly and avoided impact all together. I sped toward the Metracroyle, which was low to the ground, about to pounce on the poor Mak cub. I flew above it and flash-morphed back to human. As I was changing my body faster than Joan Rivers, Mak'ra Zyu got the brilliant idea to form a Korla-whip. The Korla held other, end-to-end, and Zyu swung this Korla-chain around in an Indiana Jones impression. Talia was at the tail end so she went flying. Just as the Metracroyle was about to snare the poor cub in its talons, Talia flew past, tackling the cub and getting out of harm's way. At the same time I landed on a flailing Metracroyle. Three flash-morphs in a row and I was damn tired and damn light-head.

"Oh that's the last time I do that!" 

The other four Mak'gers tackled the Metracroyle to the ground. 

"*Zyu, bit its neck!*" Rannos commanded. 

"Wait!" I said. I placed my hands on the Metracroyle's wing, being pinned down by Wollin. I acquired the creature's DNA. Wings shot out of my back, and then I started flickering again.

"*Are you flickering?*" Ceron asked, sounding both like scientist and an idiot at the same time.

"I don't know why."

Since it appeared I was down with the beast, Zyu and Rannos but it out of its misery. 

"*We got the Cub!*" Talia said clutching him and handing him to Zyu.

"*We should go!*" Wollin said, sounding exhausted.

"*But we didn't find Buraidra!*" Rannos said.

As if beckoned, a green Korla staggered into view. It clutched its head like a crazy person.

"Buraidra!" Rannos shouted.

"Randon!" Buraidra pleaded. 'Randon' means 'brother' in the Makkorla language. Buraidra started to change. He grew bigger and bigger. His insect-like form was replaced with reptilian skin. Horns replaced antennae. He was morphing. 

"*Buraidra . . . . is a . . . .Hork-Bajir!*" Talia blurted.

Not just any Hork-Bajir. The morph had two horns. Female. But she was big. Bigger than Jara Hamee. Bigger even than Ursa Wulvef. 

"That is one Ultra-bitch." I said, starting to morph into Ursa. 

"*That's my Brother!*" Rannos said, near hysterical. 

I'll take care of him. You get the cub back to your Carrier ship.

"*Mak'ra Zyu!*" commanded Wollin, seemingly taking control now that Rannos' objectivity has gone out the window. "*We go!*" 

Zyu, holding the cub, grabbed his temporarily displaced Mak'ra-dich and ran with his Mak'gers.

Meanwhile, I stared down the Hork-Bajir version of Chyna. Hork-Bajir usually stand at seven feet tall. I was eight and a half. Buraidra was ten. He (or she, depending on your point of view) charged at me with his giant blades. I blocked, and the two of us continued to clash blades. 

Buraidra! Get a hold of yourself!

Buraidra is gone, Morph-human. You're speaking to Helfreid six-one-six of the Sulp Niaar pool.

A Yeerk! But how . . . You can't infest a Korla! The Hork-Bajir! You infested his Hork-Bajir morph!

Dapsen! You are quick! Helfreid said mockingly I never expected to tangle with the infamous David Hunting, the Morph-Human. _Seerow's Abomination_. Ha Ha Ha. (I suspect he was making a play on words in Galard. The words for kindness and abomination are similar.)

You're in a precarious position, Helfreid. What happens when Buraidra demorphs?

My yeerk body is preserved in Z-space. I do not use up Kandrona there. I could theoretically stay in Z-space indefinitely. Unfortunately, my control over Buraidra . . . weakens. Buraidra's mental state was already not on the strong side when I first infested him.

David! Rannos said using the ship's thought-speech communicator. We're coming to get you.

Many yeerks are vain. I need to keep him talking.

How can he morph?

The andalite warrior Jeekolarous-Lilan-Tecktor left an Escafil Device with the Korla, but never told them what it was. "Jeek" gave the morphing power to a grub named Kyotancy. Buraidra saw this and after Jeek died, used the cube on himself. After a run-in with Councilor Four and his Blue Band Elites, Buraidra acquired this magnificent form. I was a S-s-s-stram-controller until a few weeks ago. I attacked a temporary base being used by the Makkorla. Buraidra and the rest of Mak'ra Zyu attacked. Buraidra used this morph against me. He fatally stabbed me just as I knocked him unconscious. I left my dying S-s-s-stram body and infested this one. He believes he failed his Mak'ra. Worse, he failed his brother. This, too easily, drove him mad.

Why'd you take the cub?

I was going to ditch this psychopath, and invest the Cub. Mak'ra Gao would have found me eventually. I then would get a hold of the Escafil device and use it both on my new host and my true body. I could then return to the Yeerk Empire as mighty conqueror! And then that bitch Bandora Five-seven-two will have to submit to me.

That's not what true submission means, Helfreid. Too bad we spoiled your plan. Looks like you're stuck with the psychopath.

Not necessarily. Why be a morphing Mak, when I can be a Morphing-human?

He struck too fast for me to see. Luckily this Hork-Bajir has Karate training. I flipped backwards and gave a side kick. That did a big load of nothing. Helfreid grabbed my leg and threw me into the Valley wall. He then made a giant seat-belt style slash across my chest.

"AAAAAAAAAh!" I shouted in my Hork-Bajir voice.

Once I slit your throat, you'll be forced to demorph and then you'll be mine.

I'd rather die.

Well, either way . . . Helfreid said as he lifted up his blade.

Skewwwww!

A shredder blast hit Helfreid and sent him staggering back. Mak'ra Zyu came to my side. 

Rannos, we have to drive the yeerk out of the Hork-Bajir body. Only then can we reason with Buraidra.

"*A yeerk tormenting my already tormented brother.*" Rannos sighed sadly.

Zyu roared ferociously and charged Helfreid. Helfreid had difficulty attacking a creature half his height, especially while feeling the effects of a stun level shredder. Unfortunately Zyu could do little more than grab his wrists and prevent himself from getting slashed. 

"*You can do it, Zyu!*" Wollin cheered.

"*Oh no! More Metracroyles!*" Talia shouted.

A flock of five or six descended on us. Wollin and Ceron grabbed me and pulled me out of harm's way. 

"*Mak'gers! Evade!*" Rannos commanded.

A Metracroyle attempted to snap at us when Zyu stopped fighting Buraidra/Helfreid and defended us. He grabbed the Metracroyle's four talons with his two strong arms and swung him into the Valley wall. Helfreid dealt with the swarming Metracroyles by decapitating them. The four or five metracroyles left began to emit some kind of gas from underneath their wing flaps. The gas was brown and didn't smell very nice, at least to Hork-Bajir sensibilities. Helfreid seemed to like the gas even less as he kept gasping for air and clutching his head. Zyu and the Korla seemed unaffected. 

"*What the crap is this mist?!*" Wollin shouted.

"*I have no idea, but I'm not bothered by it." Talia said.

"*Buraidra's in pain. It must hurt Hork-Bajir.*" Ceron theorized.

I'm a Hork-Bajir for the moment. I feel fine.

"*Maybe it hurts yeerks.*" Rannos said.

"Baka!" Sabden't shouted. "Baka" means "Genius!" or "Brilliant!" in the Makkorla language. Ironically, the same word means the exact opposite in Japanese.

Unfortunately for us, through his fit, Helfreid had managed to kill all of the Metracroyles. I'll get you!!!!!!

He's going to demorph! If he demorphs, the gas won't hurt the yeerk. He needs to concentrate to demorph. I warned.

"Zyu!" Rannos beckoned. "*Hit him in the head!*"

Amazingly, Zyu's long, strong arms could rise above his own head high enough to hit Helfreid on his. Zyu began to punch mercilessly. 

"*What good will this do? The Metracroyles are all dead.*" Sabden't said.

I demorphed. "Not all of them." I morphed into the Metracroyle. My face elongated. My arms became wings. My legs doubled and became the four talons. I grew a tail. I was the Metracroyle. Its instincts were much like the eagle or merlin, so I gained control easily. I flapped my huge wings and flew above Zyu and Helfreid. And as Marco would say if he were here, 'Time to pass gas!'

With the gas further weakening Helfreid, Zyu overtook him easily, and he fell to the floor, half-conscious. 

"*Let's finish him off. Victory Formation!*" Rannos commanded.

In a formation identical to the one I saw on the ship (minus the two large shredder cannon) Mak'ra Zyu approached Helfreid. Using Sabden't and Talia as exaggerated arms, Helfreid was picked up, spun around and thrown into the Valley wall. I landed next to him.

You win. Hunting. a dead yeerk crawls out of a Hork-Bajir ear. Helfreid was dead. Now there was only Buraidra. It started to rain. 

"*Great. We'll have fun time fluttering out of here.*" Wollin said sarcastically. 

Buraidra began to demorph from Hork-Bajir. He was now a plain green Korla. 

"Randon?" Rannos said, warily. 

"Rannos . . . . randon beej. . . ." Buraidra muttered. "*Brother _hate_ Buraidra!*" 

Buraidra stood up and shrieked like a crazy person. He then started to attack Rannos. Zyu roared in protest. 

"No! This is between me and my brother!" Rannos insisted.

Rannos and Buraidra fought, korla claw to korla claw.

What's going on? I asked, baffled.

"*Buraidra was always a little paranoid, and he suffers from a form of depression.*" Sabden't explained.

"*The yeerk may have drove him mad.*" Ceron added.

Going through the Fugue in fast-forward probably didn't fucking help either! I commented.

"Buraidra beej." Talia lamented. "Beej" means "My". Draw your own conclusions.

Rannos defended himself while trying to talk some sense into his brother. Rannos finally lost control and swiped him in the face. Buraidra was knocked to the ground but was about to get back up when Zyu, having enough of watching his own Mak'gers fight each other stepped between them and started to snarl at Buraidra.

"*Zyu hates Buraidra.*" Buraidra babbled. "*Buraidra hated by his own Mak'ra!"

"*Zyu, stand down!*" Rannos commanded.

"*Belay that order, Zyu!*" Wollin piped in.

"*Wollin, what are you doing?!*" Talia chirped hysterically.

"Wollin?!" Rannos said, incredulous.

"*Trust our Mak, my Mak'ra-dich.*" Wollin said.

I understood what Wollin and Zyu were doing. I flew up above Buraidra and I spoke to him. You are a Mak'ger of Mak'ra Zyu. The Mak must obey you!

"*Yes. Talking flapper has a point!*" Buraidra said. "*Zyu! Stand down!*"

Zyu ceased snarling and bowed his head.

"*Zyu! What are you doing?*" Rannos shouted.

"*Mak submits to Korla.*" Zyu recites.

"*Yes.*" Buraidra hisses.

"*Because Zyu loves his Mak'ger.*" Zyu said, unprompted. "*Zyu loves Buraidra.*"

"*No . . .NO!*" Buraidra babbles. "*Zyu fight Buraidra. Zyu hates his Mak'ger!*"

"*I protect my Mak'gers because I love them. I fought you to protect you. Protect you from the yeerk. Protect you from yourself.*"

"*We demanded a _Wyrdvigon_ to get you back.*" Wollin said.

"*We need you, Buraidra. Your brother needs you. And I need you.*" Talia said.

Buraidra's four legs gave out and he leaned precariously on his thorax, overwhelmed. "*No . . No*"

"*Mak'ra Zyu loves his Mak'ger.*" Zyu says, tenderly putting his hand on Buraidra's shoulder. "*Does Buraidra love his Mak'ra? Does he love me?*"

"*Do you love me, your nest-brother?*" Rannos continued. "*Do you love your fellow Mak'gers, Wollin, Ceron, and Sabden't? Do you love Talia? You once told me you would make her your mate. She would submit to you in sacred union. Don't you have love for her that is worth her submission?*"

"*I deserve no love. Such great power of morphing, and I still failed. I failed my brother, my bride, my Mak'ra!*" Buraidra lamented, no longer referring to himself in third person. That had to be a good sign. 

"*You are a Mak'ger of Mak'ra Zyu. We shall always love you, Buraidra.*" Zyu said.

"Ne-mon, randon." Rannos said. "*Come home.*"

Buraidra emitted a low vibrating sound, which my translator interpreted as a sorrowful cry. His cries roared against quiet thunder and the din of the raindrops in the valley.

"*One Power of Many.*" Talia recited.

"*Many Powers of One.*" Wollin, Ceron, and Sabden't recited in unison.

"*One is Many.*" Rannos said offering his claw to his "randon".

"*All is One.*" Buraidra recited, taking his brother's claw. "Di Makkorla"

"*Mak'ra Zyu, United Once More!!*" Rannos shouted triumphantly!

"Mak'ra Zyu!" Buraidra shouted, taking a battle pose.

"Mak'ra Zyu!" All the Mak'gers said in unison.

Zyu roared in happiness.

I demorphed. "I don't think I'll ever understand you wierdos." And then I started flickering again.

"*Hey, there's that flickering again.*" Ceron said.

"*Why are you doing that?*" Wollin asked.

"*Are you about pop out like you popped into Z-space?*"

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

"*Kentandros told me.*"

"*You wouldn't happened to be the displaced matter of a low-mass morph by any chance, are you?*" Ceron asked suddenly. Five Korla and One Mak stare at Ceron once more. "*What? Somebody has to keep abreast of Andalite science.*"

"*And by 'keep abreast' you mean 'steal'!*" Wollin accused.

"What's happening to me?"

"*You're being pulled back into your low-mass morph.*" Ceron explained. I was going home.

"*I guess this is goodbye.*" Talia said.

"*Thank you for your help*" Rannos said. "*I'll give your regards to Kentandros.*"

"*I want to know what the yeerk wanted with Ginga and Oh's cub.*" Wollin said, changing the subject quite rapidly.

"*He wanted to infest him and then use Jeek's Blue Cube on himself like I did.*" Buraidra explained.

"*Is that all?!!!! We should have let him try.*" 

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"*Kentandros destroyed that thing weeks ago.*"

"What???????" 

POP

My hands were purple and I had four legs. Oh yeah, Helmacron. 

I demorphed and remorphed into rat. In retrospect, this morph should have brought back all those horrible memories of another time-line, but I was still weirded out by experience with the Mak and Korla. I made my way into a room with many Hork-Bajir. I craned my neck And I saw another liquid metal ball like the one used to crush me in Helmacron morph. This ball would contain the other Animorphs. But how do I get them out? Hork-Bajir blades can't crack it. Wait . . . .

I finished my new morph and prepared myself to burst into the room. I had to be quick or I'd be blasted by Dracon Beams. I backed up and I flew through the wall.

The doors erupted into the room where Visser Three and Sub-Visser Forty-nine were attempting to crush my friends in a Romonite Compactor Ball. I had a double dose of surprise on my side. One, I'm sure the Visser and Sub-visser thought I was dead, so they certainly wouldn't expect me to barge into the room like I did. Two, I doubt they would expect what kind of animal I was.

I was the Metracroyle.

I flew up above the shocked Yeerks, next to the Romonite Compactor Ball suspended from the ceiling. I leaned my head back and spat acid. The ball dissolved like sand in surf. Three wolves, two snakes, and a hawk fell. 

Jara! Now!

Within minutes, Jara's rebels burst in and began attacking. I evened things up a bit by using the Metracroyle's special mist.

Dude, David's passing gas! Marco said.

Visser Three escaped, but I personally dragged the Sub-visser out myself. He was well into the fugue by the time I dragged him out. I flew him into the forest half-way back to the colony. By the time Jara and the other Animorphs found me, the Sub-Visser was almost dead.

"Here he is, Jara. Sub-Visser Forty-nine. Why is he so important to you?"

"Have his own head yet?" Jara asked.

"No, in a few minutes."

Soon, a dead yeerk slid out of the Hork-Bajir's ear. The newly-freed Hork-Bajir blinked his eyes. "Jara!"

"Toma!!"

The two Hork-Bajir touched horns and hugged.

"Jara, who is this?" Cassie asked

"This Toma Hamee. Jara Brother."

I had to chuckle. "He's your brother."

Jake smiled kind of far-off. "I'm glad you got your brother back, Jara."

"I'm afraid to ask, but . . David, what the fuck was that thing???" Marco asked.

"Don't worry about it." I said as I morphed to Horned Owl. 

"David, where are you going?" Cassie asked.

"One Power of Many. Many Powers of One." Does this apply to us?

"What? David, it's way to late at night for philosophy." Rachel whined.

David, that sounds like . . .Aximili started.

Yes. It applies. We are one unit, David. Tobias insisted.

Are we? You see, I see the six of you and you guys are One. You guys are Mak'ra. Mak'ra Animorph.

"What the hell are you babbling about now?" Marco asked, frustrated.

"David, what are you saying?"

I'm saying I will never be your enemy. But I will never be your Mak'ger. I said as I took off.

"David?" Cassie pleaded worryingly.

I am no longer an Animorph.

_Ne-mon, randon._

_Come home._


	46. Coming to a Head

**_May 19, 2000              6:30 PM_**

****

**Cassie**

The six of us were at Peter and Nora's wedding.  The _six _of us.  David had left us.  He left Ax's scoop and had taken all of his belongings to the Hork-Bajir colony.  When Tobias told us this, Jake told us to do nothing.  He was hoping David would blow off whatever steam he needed to and come back. 

            But, that night when David told us he was no longer an Animorph, he meant it.  Completely.  He was still our ally, but he was no longer one of us, and despite all the headache David has caused us in the past year, we felt a loss.   

Oddly enough, Marco was the first to admit it.  He said he was going to miss "that sarcastic, whiny bastard."  Jake and Rachel agreed.

            Ax and Tobias were generally worried about David.  All of David's stuff was at the Colony, but David was rarely there.  Toby said that David is usually there for only a few hours at a time.  The Chee have spotted his human morph "Terry Stevens" at various places, but they can never trail him.  Ax has said that David will only be found if he wants to be found.

            So it was only the six of us at Peter and Nora's wedding.  Marco was best man.  It was a beautiful ceremony, but bittersweet.  Peter doesn't know that his first wife is still alive, but we tried not to think about that as we sat reverently in a Roman Catholic Church, watching Marco's dad marry someone who is not Marco's mother.  

            At the reception, the six of us sat together.  It still felt empty without David's presence.  A little less dark, but empty nonetheless.

            "I wonder how I would feel if one of my parents got remarried."  Rachel said.

            "Why haven't they?  They've been divorced for a long time now." Jake said.

            "Eh.  There both such workaholics, they never have time for anything else.  My father was seeing this one girl seriously for a while, but it didn't work out."

            "I am surprised that marriages can be broken so easily on this planet.  Marriages.  A-jezz.  Not so much on mine." Ax said.

            "Divorce rates are so high nowadays."  Rachel said.

            "Well, I'm getting married once and only once, and it will last forever." I said daydreaming.

            I noticed Jake jitter uncomfortably.  "Who said she means you?" Rachel quipped.

            "Dude," Marco said, leering at two pretty blonde girls and whispering to Ax.  "Nora's cousins are totally checking us out."

            "Actually, it look's like Nora's cousins are totally checking _Ax_ out." Tobias clarified.

            "Whatever.  Ax, come with me." Marco said, as he was about to make his way to Nora's cousins.

            "Marco, don't you remember what happened last Halloween?" Jake warned.

            "He was sick then. Ax isn't sick now.  He's not going to do anything stran―Ax, don't eat the flowers!" 

            "But I thought I could dip them in chocolate.  Dip.  Dip-PAH!" Ax protested.

            "That's not a strawberry, that's a rose!" Rachel clarified.

            "Ah."

            "Let's go, Ax.  Now, do you remember what I told you?" Marco said as he led Ax toward Nora's bridesmaids.

            "Yes, you do all the talking."

            "I need to use the restroom.  I'll be back."  Jake said as he got up and left.

            The DJ started playing "Zoot Suit Riot", and Rachel announced that she wanted to dance, subtly hinting to Tobias.

            "Oh, I can't dance.  I have two left talons." Tobias protested, but Rachel dragged him on the floor and attempted to teach him how to swing dance.  I was left alone at the table, so I watched Rachel and Tobias.  I then looked to Marco and Ax who were chatting it up with Nora's cousins.  Ax almost stuck another flower in his mouth before Marco stopped him.  It was very entertaining to watch.  "Zoot Suit Riot" ended, and "I Swear" by All-4-One started up.  I watched Tobias sigh with relief as he was allowed to stop swing dancing and start slow dancing.  Marco and Ax were dancing with Nora's cousins, so I guess Marco's charm actually worked this time.  I was afraid for Ax though.  He's never danced before.  

            "Hi." A voice said.  I looked up and saw a very attractive boy about my age.  A very attractive black boy.   "Would you like to dance?"

            "Oh, uhhhh, I have a boyfriend." I stammered.  

            "And I have a girlfriend, but she's not here, and I want to dance."  The boy said.

            I don't know why, but I got up to dance with him.  He was very handsome.  Other than Jake, all the boys I ever thought were cute were members of my own race.  While I thought they were cute, I had always had a thing for my best friend's cousin.  It was a big part of my life.  This was the first time a black guy flirted with me and it felt . . . strange.  

            My hands were resting precariously on the guy's shoulder.  His hands were firmly on my waist.  He looked at me with pretty brown eyes, and I found it hard to look away.

            "Listen, ummm, my boyfriend.  He's here.  He's in the bathroom." I stammered.

            "Oh, is he going to kick my ass?" the Boy said, teasingly.  

            I couldn't imagine Jake getting into a fight with someone (who wasn't a yeerk). "I don't think so, but just to be safe, maybe you shouldn't hold me so close."  I said.

            "Ah, keeping me at a distance, but still caring for my safety.  Classic Cassie." The boy said.

            He knew my name.  "Do you know me?"

            "I know that sometimes you like to gallop around your farm lands.  Sometimes on Tierra.  Sometimes _as_ Tierra."

            Tierra's my horse.  "David."  I realized.

            The boy/David flashed a smile and wiggled his eyebrows.  "Can't put anything past you, can I?"

            "What are you doing here?  In morph, no less." I whispered.  

            "What?  I said I'd come to Marco's father's wedding and here I am."

            "Jake's going to have a fit."

            "Enough about Jake already!  Aren't you going to ask me what I've been doing?"

            "Why? So you can rhetoric your way out of a real answer?" 

            "Ha Ha Ha.  You sound like Melissa."

            "You _are_ dating Melissa Chapman.  Did you tell her about us?"

            "Why don't you ask her?"

            "If you haven't told her, she'll be confused.  If you have, she'll just pretend to be confused."

            "Then I guess, you'll never know."

            "David, what have you done?"

            "Don't worry.  You guys aren't in any danger."

            "What about her?  Don't you realize the position you've put _her_ in?  If she knows about her parents, how can she live with that?"

            "I'm doing just fine in the same boat."

            "You can do something about it.  She can't."

            "What's going on here?"  said a voice.  Jake.  "Who are you?"

            "Relax, General Berenson.  The song is over.  Can't you hear the rockin' 80's song?" David joked.

            "David?"

            "2 for 2.  I'm not fooling anyone, am I?"

            "What are you doing here?"

            "I was invited."

            "Leave."

            David stepped in closer to Jake. "Why?"

            "If you're going to morph for foolish reasons, you're a danger to us." Jake whispered in close.

            "Really?  Because the only one who's in any danger right now," David said as put his face (which in his morph is level with Jake's) about two inches away from Jake's, "is you."

            "Was that a threat?"

            "No.  A prophecy.  Look at you.  Jake, the clear-headed.  Yet, someone comes a little too close to someone you love and all your great leadership abilities go to Hell in a handbasket." David said, delivering one of his famous rhetorical speeches that solve nothing except allowing David to avoid the question at hand.  Classic David.  "It's a serious problem, Jake.  I hope you'll fix it or you're never getting your brother back."

            That's when Jake did something I didn't expect.  He threw a punch and hit David square across his jaw.  David staggered back, took his hand to his lip, and looked at the resulting blood.  "What'd I say?" David said.  "Hell in a Handbasket."

            With that, David delivered a punch to Jake's gut and a swift backhand to Jake's head.  Jake staggered back and launched himself at David.  David backed up into the buffet line and potato salad went everywhere.  They got into grapple as they continued to punch each other.  I stood there shocked, not knowing what to do.  One of Nora's male relatives yelled "Fight!" and all the wedding guests had now drawn their attention to Jake and David.  

            David freed himself from Jake's grasp and delivered two quick blows to his head.  Jake could not protect himself from David's karate moves.  David gave two more punches to Jake's face and capped it all with a tornado kick to Jake's chest.  The kick sent Jake flying into the punch bowl.  Jake rolled over the table onto the floor on the other side.

            Two of Nora's brothers came to throw Jake and David out.  I and the rest of the Animorphs followed them. I told them that the black boy fighting Jake was David.  Only Tobias was unsurprised. 

            Outside the reception, there were benches.  Marco and Rachel helped Jake sit down.  I gave his face a once-over.  David had beaten him pretty badly; it was disconcerting.  Rachel and Marco seethed.  I was pretty mad at David too, but I was also mad at Jake.  Why would he fight David?  He knows David is a better fighter.  He wasn't acting logically, very un-Jake-like.

            David walked away without looking at any of us.  I think he felt pretty stupid.  He didn't mean to get into fisticuffs with Jake, and it looked like he felt pretty ashamed for letting his ego get the better of him.

            I prevented Rachel and Marco from trailing David.  They would only get into another fight with him.  I didn't think to stop Tobias.  He seemed pretty mad as well.  Ax walked with Tobias, shooting worried looks at his prince, Jake.

            "David, what the fuck was that?" Tobias yelled.

            "Leave me alone, Feathers."

            "No!  Get back here!" 

            David actually obeyed Tobias and turned around.  "What?"

            "What the fuck was that you just pulled in there?"

            "Look.  I didn't mean to start a fight.  I didn't start the fight."

            "You sure as shit ended it."

            "Look, Jake's the one with jealousy issues, okay?" David shouted back increasingly angry.

            "No.  Don't feed me a line of shit and call it mouse-guts, all right?  Don't pin this on Jake.  It's you and _your_ jealousy of _him _that drives you to constantly get into a penis measuring contest with him."

            "Oh grow up!"

            "No, you grow up, David." Tobias said as he assertively grabbed David's arms. "I realize you lost something that August night, but you've been taking it out on us and especially Jake ever since.  Now, I'm sorry that the yeerks have taken everything from you, but we've all paid prices for this war.  Myself especially, but I'm dealing and Jake's dealing, and everyone else is dealing, so don't put your shit on Jake because you don't have something that he does."

            "Who says I don't?"

            "Melissa will never be Stephanie."

            "Motherfucker!!" David yelled as he grabbed Tobias by the collar of his dress-shirt.  He raised his arm to punch him, but hesitated.  

            "David, I know you never liked Jake, but I'm your friend." Tobias said calmly to the mad teenager that had him by the throat.

            David released Tobias and said.  "You're right.  Violence never solves anything.  That's why the whole lot of you will never defeat the Yeerks!  Not without destroying yourselves in the process.  Just wait and see.  Or don't.  Because I got a plan.  I'm going to pull a 'Cassie'."

            "Pull a 'Cassie'?" Rachel repeated incredulously.

            "You all can try to defeat the Yeerks, but _I_!  I'M going to _save_ them." David ranted.

            "Save the Yeerks?" Marco said.  "From what?  Us?"

            "No." David said as he turned away.  "From themselves."

            "Who will save you from yourself, David?" Ax said, speaking for the first time in a long time.

            David turned back around and gave a stone gaze to Ax.  David demorphed and his real face kept the stone gaze.  David turned back around and walked away.

            "Jake, we have to do something." I said.

            "Let him go." Jake said.

            "He's going to do something crazy.  We have to get him back." I protested.

            "It's too late, Cassie." Jake said calmly, rubbing his scabbed nose.  "David's gone."

            I refused to believe it, but somehow, I knew Jake was right.


	47. Isn't that Strange

**Jake**

Our ally, Erek King the Chee, walked out of the cineplex of the mall.  We were with him too, as various insects along his android form.  His force field protected us from the Gleet BioFilter.  We had just returned from the Yeerk Pool.  A trip to the Yeerk Pool is never fun, but this one was especially heart-breaking.  We had Eva McCabe, Marco's mother, with us.  She was free, but she chose to stay a controller, mostly to protect Marco and the rest of Earth.  The six of us sat in silence.  We have had a rough time lately.  First, David left us. Flat out quit.  Still fighting the Yeerks, but in his own way.  We shuddered to think what that way is, but we decided if David did anything major, the Chee will find out about it.  At least we hoped.  David has found ways to elude the Chee, possibly involving Dayang Encryption.   

Then at the wedding of Peter McCabe, Marco's father, and his bride Nora, David showed up and decided to slow-dance with Cassie.  I'm ashamed to say I lost my head.  We got into a verbal argument of rhetoric followed by a fist fight.  David wiped the floor with me both times.  A bloody nose and a broken ego later, I was very angry that I had lost David.  I was also frustrated and angry at the fact that I hoped I would never see him again.

However, as I knew it would turn out, my hope was not the case.

We demorphed in a safe place with Erek watching guard.  I emerged from my Dragonfly form.  Rachel as a cockroach.  Tobias as a fly. Marco as a wolf spider and Ax as a mosquito.  Cassie emerged from her Butterfly form beautifully, keeping the pretty wings on her back til the very end as they shrank into her spine.  We were about to morph into raptor form when he decided to make his presence known.

So, Edriss 562 has children.  Interesting.

David? Tobias blurted.

"David."  I confirmed.

"Oooooh, I am _really_ not in the mood for your bullshit, David."  Marco seethed.

So noted.  I was watching the trial from the Colony.  Interesting in some parts.  Boring in others, but I did get a good look at some of the Councilors.  Handy information, if I had a space ship. Which I don't.

"He sounds like he's blabbering." Rachel whispered.

I heard that.

"Then why don't you show yourself, you cowardly traitor?"

COWARDLY TRAITOR?! David repeated more surprised than angry, but definitely offended.  A spider crawled along Rachel's face.  She let out a yelp and smacked it off her face.  The spider grew in mid-air and became David in a matter of seconds.  Very fast morphing.  I also noticed that, unlike us, David was fully dressed.  Shoes, jeans, T-shirt, and what looked like an old navy trench-coat you would find at Salvation Army.  Eight giant spider legs stuck out of his back.  He kind of looked like Tarantulas from _Beast Wars_.  "That was uncalled for."  

"What do you want David?" I asked tersely.

"Why is it important to you that Edriss has children?" Cassie asked quickly before David could address my question.

"It doesn't matter," Rachel interrupted.  "It's not like he'll be able to find them."

"Oh ye of little faith." David said.  "Let's see, one of them is a controller.  A boy about ten years old, his birth name was Gervais.  His parents were Allison Kim and Hildy Gervais.  I should be able to find out all I want about him."

If he is a controller, than the child is out of your reach, David. Ax reasoned.

"No.  There is another." David said.  

What are you planning?  Why is this important? Tobias asked.

"It's not.  Not to me." David assured.  He looked at Marco.  "However, I figured that the identity of Edriss's children maybe of some importance to one of you."

David sidled over to Marco.  "I thought I told you I didn't want your bullshit."

"Edriss 562 has someone in its clutches that is very dear to you, and it has always worked against you.  I figure, the next time Edriss comes around, wouldn't it be nice if you had a level playing field for once."

"You're mad." Erek said.

"You machines are awfully judgemental." David muttered.

I rushed him suddenly.  I grabbed him by the collar of coat.  "You can't just do whatever you want.  There are consequences!  You are a danger to us and a danger to our cause, David."

"Who would win in a fight between a lion and a tiger?" David asked.  His blond hair erupted into a mane. I think Lion, but I guess we'll never know. 

I looked at my arm, still clutching David's collar.  It was orange with black stripes.  David face was completely leonine. Or will we?

David opened his mouth to show lion fangs.  He leaned in and bit me on the neck.

I jerked my head up from my pillow.  My hands clutched the bed sheet under me. My eyes instinctively looked at the clock. 2:57. 

**_April 16, 2000                        2:58 AM_**

I had been dreaming, but everything in my dream had happened a week ago.  Up until the part where I grab David by the collar, that was just my paranoid delusion.  I used to dream about my brother.  Now I dream about _him_. 

I walked to the bathroom.  The whole house was asleep.  I could hear my brother snoring from his room.  Thank God, he has always been a heavy sleeper.  I wash the sweat off my forehead and look at myself in the mirror.  I look especially at my nose.  Up until our last mission to the Yeerk Pool, it was a red, bloody, scabbed mess.

_"__Violence never solves anything. That's why the whole lot of you will never defeat the Yeerks!"_

"'Violence never solves anything'.  Yeah, like he believes that." I mutter to myself.  I am worrying too much.  It's not as if David had anything really dangerous at his disposal.  It was three in the morning.  Time to go back to bed.

RING!  RING!

The phone in the living room rang just as I was leaving the bathroom.  A phone call at three am is rarely a good thing.  When you're an Animorph, the chance of good news ever –day or night— is zero . . . .

Hahn Tunad.  Hahn was a friend of Jara Hamee's.  Unfortunately, Hahn was the victim of a bizarre mutation experiment, trying to turn Hork-Bajir amphibious.  That's when we learned about the Sea Blade.  Around Hahn's dying body were myself, Cassie, Toby, Jara, and David. 

As Jara and Toby left with Hahn's body, I stared at David.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"You always ask that when you see me.  It's like you never expect me to be anywhere you are." David said rhetorically.

"David," I pressed.

"I was sleeping at the colony when this happened.  I came over with them.  Seems like the place to be.  Trust me, I'm as appalled by this as you are.  No person should ever be mutated . . . without permission."

"David is not our enemy, Jake." Cassie tried to reassure me.  I'm she's aware how much it annoys me when she in particular sticks up for David.  Tobias and Ax do it too, and I'm not annoyed, but David . . . 

"You are going after the Sea Blade, right?"  David asked.

"Of course.  The Yeerks cannot be allowed to find the Pemalite Ship."  I answered.

David leaned in close to me.  "I'm in.  One last time.  Fearless Leader."

One last time.  That nearly became true for all of us.  David is not the only psycho I've had to deal with.  We were trapped on the Sea Blade by the mutated humans called the Nartec.  We had to make a deal with Visser Three to secure our safety from the mad race, but we were ready.  I had Marco in place to flood the Sea Blade when we were free of the Nartec.  

We evaded the Nartecs' U-boats.  Ax was himself.  Rachel was a Grizzly.  Marco was probably a Gorilla.  Cassie was a wolf.  David, being David, must have managed to acquire Naca, Queen Soco's right-hand freak, because he there he was, a very strong Nartec.

I gave the command to flood the Sea Blade.  The plan was that we would swim out and the Sea Blade will be destroyed by the Nartec and the force of the Ocean, maybe taking the Visser along with it.  We weren't counting on that last part, however.  

Something went wrong.  For some reason, the Sea Blade started up again.  The hatches closed up, and the water started to drain, taking us with it.  We met up.  Marco, Tobias, Aximili, Rachel, and I were hammerhead sharks.  Cassie was an orca.  David was nowhere to be seen.  

The Visser? I asked.

I just echolocated.  Cassie said.  I saw what looked a bit like a giant squid.  Leaving the vicinity of the cave entrance.

Heading which way?

Toward Land. Toward land.

Anyone seen David?

I didn't see him leave the ship. Marco said.  I was the first one out.  He's still on the ship.

I circled around till I could see the Sea Blade.  It sank down toward the blackness of the sea, disappearing from our sight.

The Visser survived, but lost the Sea Blade.  It may have survived the Nartec unscathed, but it will be destroyed by the water pressure of the Ocean floor.  We may have lost David.  I'm ashamed to say that part of me felt relieved.  A smaller part was sad, but mostly I didn't believe that David was gone.  I couldn't.  It may have looked like he died inside the doomed ship, but I knew he would be back.

Actually, a small part kind of _hopes_ he'll be back.  Isn't that strange?

David 

          "All functions normal." Ayla reported.  "Fully operational."

"Excellent." I said, mighty pleased with myself.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah." Ayla moaned in pleasurable relief.  "It feels good to finally have some elbow room to streeeeeeeeetch!"

            Ayla was in her new "shell".  I finally found a suitable home for her.  A suitable home for me too.

            "My shell needs a name." Ayla insisted.  

            "I dub thee . . . the _Proteus_."

            "Proteus: a minor Greek god of water, known for changing his shape constantly to confuse humans and gods alike."  Ayla explained in computer monotone.

            "You like it?"

            "Meh.  It's all right.  It's definitely fitting.  Anything's better than 'the _Sea Blade_'."

            I looked around my new home, the bridge of the _Proteus_, formerly known as the Sea Blade.

            I chuckled to myself.  "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."


	48. Misguided

**_June 24, 2000             5:40 PM_**

****

****

Melissa had been worried about me ever since I told her about the incident at the Pennsylvania warehouse.  She was weirded out by my stories of the Korla and the Mak, but she was more concerned with the fact that I had left the Animorphs, and that there was a good deal of bad blood between myself and the Berenson Cousins. 

With school being over, Melissa didn't have to worry about running into Rachel.  And Rachel, being Rachel, hadn't so much as called to talk to her about her boyfriend.  Melissa assured me if anyone of the Animorphs called her, she would feign ignorance.  I warned her never agree to meet Cassie in public and, if it could be helped, to avoid talking to her altogether.  Cassie would know instantly that she was lying.

I guess I was worried about her too.  While Cassie may know, the other Animorphs never got a straight answer on whether or not Melissa was my girlfriend, and I'm not sure whether Cassie would tell Jake.  She would if she considered it a security risk, and Melissa Chapman maybe the one person that we can trust Rachel NOT to kill first and ask questions later.

Huh.  'We can'.  'The _Animorphs and I _can.'  

Melissa and I hadn't seen each other in a while, we were both so worried about the other, and so when I tapped on her window at noon when both parents were gone, we were so relieved to be with each other.  

So naturally, we were making out.  I was on top (take from that as you will), my large frame eclipsing my girlfriend's small body.  Melissa had managed to break five feet in height, but still tipped the scales between ninety-two and one-hundred-eight pounds.  Meanwhile I'm about 5'10.  I'm taller than Rachel (5'9), but not Jake (6'2). However, my mid-to-final years of puberty had struck with a vengeance.  My shoulders have grown really, really broad.  I was broader than Jake, and with nothing better to do, I was working out a lot filling my large frame with muscle.  Nothing impressive, but nothing to scoff at either.  Of course, the resulting muscle has upped my weight to a possibly unhealthy 220, but whatever.  

I lifted my head to take a breath and to gaze adoringly at my girlfriend.  Being the shy type, not used to so much attention, Melissa turned her head and blushed.

"What?" she asked smiling.

"Nothing." I said, being totally corny.  "You're just so beautiful."

Melissa rolled her eyes teasingly, still smiling.  "If you say so."  Her smile faded.  "David?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me again about my parents."

"Well, from all the information that I've gathered.  Your father was . . . a real dick when he was fourteen, but I suppose he's all right now.  After all, he became a voluntary controller to protect you from them."

"And my mother?"

"She became a voluntary controller before that, but she has rebelled against her yeerk when your safety was threatened.  Why are we talking about your parents?  You invited me over because they were going to be gone all afternoon."

"If the Yeerks try to take me, what would you do?"

"Anything.  Anything to protect you from them.  I'd go to hell and back.  Which would be a short trip, because I have a space ship now."

"Ah yes, of course.  You know, some girls date guys who own Porsches or a Lexus.  My boyfriend owns a spaceship."

"Yes, but my spaceship is roomy.  It's like a combination mansion and vehicle.  White House with Air Force One.  I have the world's best RV."

Melissa laughed at all crazy hyperboles. 

I stroked her cheek with my hand.  "I could show you it some time."

"Hmmm.  I don't know if I trust myself to be alone with you in a big, empty spaceship."

"You're alone with me now in a big, empty house.  It would only be better in a spaceship.  After all in a spaceship, 'I can show you the world,'" I began to sing.

"No!" Melissa half-playfully, half-seriously protested.  "No singing Disney songs!"

"'Shining, shimmering splendid." I continued undeterred.  "'Tell me, Princess, Now when did you last/Let your heart de—'HEY!" I shouted in response to getting pelted with a pillow.

"I'm not sure I should ride your 'Magic Carpet'."

"I'd like to ride your magic carpet." 

Melissa was amused, but shocked at my rather vulgar joke.  She wasn't offended because she knew I was just being a smart-ass, but the fact I said it, didn't excuse me from the following pummeling by pillow.

The pummeling forced me to get up in evasive maneuvers.  I decided I should sing again.  "'You don't know what/We could find./Why don't come with me, little girl/On a magic carpet ride?'"

Melissa hit me again with the pillow, but because she was laughing at me singing Three Dog Night, I caught it and pulled her to me.  I put my arm around her waist (an action that required me to bend my knees bow-legged like a cowboy) and proceeded to dance with her idiotically. "'Well, you don't know what/We could see./Why don't you tell your dreams to me?/Fantasies will set free.'"

We heard the front door open and close.  My mind went immediately to alert mode.  Melissa seemed to mirror my thoughts.  She told me to shush and to stay in her room.  Melissa went downstairs to see who had come in.

"Mom?" I heard her say.  "I thought you would be at the salon."

"We had a little problem with . . . vandals.  Pranksters who are endangering people's lives." Mrs. Chapman said.

The front door opened and closed again.  Even from upstairs, I could tell that whatever came through the front door reeked of pipe tobacco.

"Tough day, Dear?" Mrs. Chapman said in the aggravated tone that would be expected of woman trying to sincerely greet her husband.

"You could say that.  Honey, there's going to be a meeting at the Community Center to discuss these . . . problems.  We should be there." Chapman said to his "wife".

"Have you eaten, sweetie?" Mrs. Chapman said lovingly to her "daughter" without any love whatsoever.

"I'll be fine, Mom." Melissa said.

With that, the Chapmans left.  Melissa came back upstairs.

"What was that about?" I asked her.

"I'm not sure, but my father ruffled this out of his hair." Melissa said holding up a feather.

"One of Tobias's feathers."

"So the Animorphs are involved?"

"Yeah.  I got to get back to the _Proteus_."

"David!  Wait!  Why do you need to leave?  You're not a part of them anymore."

"I'm trying to save the Universe here.  I depend on the Animorphs to keep Terra Firma safe while I work on the Big Picture.  If something big is going down, then I need to keep an eye on it in case it goes south."

"You told me yourself.  Jake's a talented and formidable leader.  He can take care of himself."

"I know . . . just . . . . something about this doesn't feel right." I said as I opened Melissa's window and morphed into a Golden Eagle.  I'll come back.  Don't worry.

I flew away from the Chapman's house a few flaps and I flew right into the open belly hatch of the _Proteus_.  A stolen Blade Ship right above a Yeerk Honcho's house, complete unbeknownst to him thanks to wonderful Dayang and Pemalite technology. 

A few days ago, I found the Pemalite ship.  Working quickly, I took a few spare parts to modify the _Proteus_ with useful Pemalite technology.  I was confident I now had the most powerful ship in the known galaxy.  Now, just what to do with that.

I entered the belly hatch and demorphed.  I drove a golf cart I recently stole toward the Bridge.  As I drove to the Bridge, I began talking to Ayla.

"Ayla, is something strange and Yeerk-related happening?"

"You could say that." She replied.

"Numerous attacks on businesses in California, Newark, and Gartenburg, New Jersey by 'escaped animals'.  All businesses have a connection to a controller."

"Of course, it does." I said as I reached the hallway that led to the bridge.  I ditched the golf cart and ran in.  "Punch up a list."

"5:40am: WKVT TV station in Newark. 99% chance that the Yeerk target was Christine Kaminsky.  One half of morning show team 'Get up with Christine and Bobby.'

"9:02 am: Barnes & Noble in California.  85% chance that the Yeerk Target was Bayton Second, the store manager.

"9:26 am: Style-a-riffic in California.  99% chance that the Yeerk Target was Susan Chapman, co-owner.

"9:40 am: All That! Sporting Goods in California.  97% chance that the Yeerk Target was Jason Tasset, owner and manager.

"10:08 am: Bank of New Jersey in California.  98% chance that the Yeerk Target was Arthur Arundel, bank manager.

"10:32 am: Mr. Bert's in California.  94% chance that the Yeerk Target was Vladimir Bertzal, owner.  72% chance that secondary target was Hedrick Chapman."

"Mr. Bert's is a tobacconist shop?" I asked.

"Yes." Ayla confirmed.  "11:10 am: Fred's Fitness Center in Gartenburg.  78% chance that the Yeerk Targets were Kirk Braff and Kristen Chalke, employees with popular followings.

"11:23 am: Kinko's in Gartenburg.  78% chance that Yeerk Target was Edrick Wolchik, day manager.

"11:56 am: Law Firm of Gaines, Volok, & MacFarland in Gartenburg.  99% chance that Yeerk Targets were Latham Gaines, Elias Volok, & Grant MacFarland."

"12:18 pm: Uton County Government Building in Gartenburg.  82% chance that Yeerk Target was Judge Sally Forensik."

"Ayla, has this been going on all day?" 

"Yes.  There have been five more attacks, the last one having occurred more than two hours ago."

"That's too long, the attacks are close together.  Hard and fast.  Something must have happened.  When was the last attack?"

"Two attacks happened almost simultaneously.  4:18 pm at Empire Vending, Inc. and 4:20 pm at Pottery Barn."  

"Those are both warehouses. They're far away from each other.  They must have split up. All the targets are controllers who are prominent members of the community.  The targets are usually close by.   Ayla, find me any targets that fit this profile within thirty miles of both targets." 

"Four targets around Empire Vending, Inc.  Three targets around Pottery Barn.  One common target."

"What target is that?"

"The California Community Center."

"That's a Yeerk Pool Entrance! Any reports from that area?"

"Someone reported to Police a disturbance at 5:37 pm."

"That was half an hour ago."

"Smells fishy." Ayla said colloquially.

"This whole thing stinks.  These attacks are way too ballsy, even for Jake.  Downright reckless and stupid."

"In other words, something you would do."

"Ha Ha Ha." I said indignantly, but then I began to realize.  "Not me . . . Ayla, do we have any reports on what animals were seen?"

"Many reports list a gorilla, a hawk, a grizzly bear, a wolf, and a strange looking deer."

"The deer is Aximili.  Marco, Tobias, Rachel, Cassie . . . . no tiger."  I realized.  "No tiger means no Jake."

"I am searching for Jake's whereabouts.  I see that Dr. Berenson, his wife, and one son have checked into a Hotel in Hartford, Connecticut."

"Is that one son Jake?"

"99% chance.  Tom Berenson can be identified from many security cameras at the mall.  He's been there since around 1:00.  He's still there now."

"So Jake's in Connecticut.  Meaning the Animorphs have elected a leader in the interim. My vote would have been for Tobias, but from the looks of things, I'd say they elected Rachel."

"Incoming Instant Message from PsychoBitchBlonde84."

"Really?  Secure Line.  Block transmission."

When I transferred Ayla into the computer banks of the _Proteus_ and moved all of my stuff from the colony into my new home, I left my old computer at the colony.  I left it there with the AOL IM menu up with six screennames: FearlessLeader62, PsychoBitchBlonde84, BirdFeathers, Angel_Eyes_018, MonkeyBoyMouth, and BlueStar_SecondBorn.  I left it up to them to figure out whose was whose and what their passwords were. It appears Rachel has figured out hers.I also assured that JadedLion would be the only one on their Buddy List

**PsychoBitchBlonde84:** David? Is this you?

**JadedLion:** The one and only. Kudos for figuring out your password.

**PsychoBitchBlonde84: **Like it would have been hard figuring out "letsdoit". 

**JadedLion: **I've been following your handiwork. I take it that this has been _your_ handiwork, eh, Rachel?  While Master Jake is away, the Animorphs come out to play.

**PsychoBitchBlonde84:** I don't have the time.  They got Cassie.

I was shocked.  Rachel had royally fucked up.

**JadedLion: **What?? You royally fucked up this time, Rachel!  They're going to infest her!

**PsychoBitchBlonde84: **You don't think I've thought of that!  Tobias has figured out how they get spacecraft into the Yeerk Pool.  Now all we need is a ship.  I wanted to steal an airplane, but Marco said we should ask you.

**JadedLion:** Why me?

**PsychoBitchBlonde84: **Because you're you, David.  Marco seems to think you could get a Bug Fighter.

Meaning Marco suspects I have the Sea Blade.  That kid is too damn smart.  I did have a Bug Fighter.  In fact, I had twelve.  They were in the Sea Blade.  Three of them were already modified with the Dayang and Pemalite Technology, Ayla was still working on the rest.

**JadedLion:** I can get a Bug Fighter.  One condition, no questions asked.

**PsychoBitchBlonde84: **Cassie's life is in the balance and you're bargining??!!!

JadedLion: _I'm_going regardless.  Now you can agree to my condition and come with, or you can sit back and wait while _I_ clean up _your_ mess. 

                I waited a while for Rachel's response.  She and the other Animorphs were probably discussing it.

**PsychoBitchBlonde84: **We're at the colony.  Get us a Bug Fighter.  No questions asked.

Ten minutes later, I had picked up the Animorphs and we made our way to the empty building that was our way into the Yeerk Pool.  The roof retracted for us and we flew down the shaft. The boys filled me in on some details, but other than that we flew in an uncomfortable silence.  We were on a time crunch: we had to get Cassie out before she was stuck as a polar bear.  That and the fact that I had a Bug Fighter at my disposal was kind of an elephant in the room.  A pink elephant with purple polka-dots and dildos for tusks.

I only gave brief updates.  "We should reach the Yeerk Pool in a few minutes.  Since we're traveling in a normal-looking Bug Fighter, they won't scan for a reading and probably won't even notice us."

A Dracon Beam hit my Bug Fighter, but its superior Pemalite Shield protected it.  

"What was that?" Marco asked.

"Um, they noticed." I said sheepishly.  "Shit!  They must have gotten a suspicious reading."

"You said they couldn't read anything off this ship." Rachel accused.

"I think that IS the suspicious reading." I admitted.  "You guys need to bail.  I'm going to blow the dome!"

"Raptor morphs.  Now!" Rachel commanded.

Four birds left my Bug Fighter as I fired its weapons into the dome, bursting it open.  I flew through the resulting fire and crashed into the Yeerk Pool.  And I mean, INTO the Yeerk Pool.  

Splash!!!  I was underwater.  Yeerks clouded my vision.  "Well, this was a fine idea." I muttered.  "Well, no time like the present to test the Pemalite Technology."

I morphed into a Yeerk.  BF-01!  Water Bubble around me.

Much like when I was a squid inside the Pemalite Ship, I was surrounded by a bubble of water that allowed me to move through the air.  I commanded the ship to preserve the dry environment in the ship as I exited the ship in my bubble.  My bubble instantly burst and I was a Yeerk free-floating amongst other Yeerks.  But I couldn't stay that way, and demorphing would have been trouble.  So I made a morally questionable move.  With Yeerk sonar I saw a Hork-Bajir head being forced into the water.  Involuntary controller.  I swam up and pushed aside the yeerk that was going to infest the Hork-Bajir and entered his host.  As I became aware of what was going on, I felt the Hork-Bajir's despair.  He had gone through this many times.  He had given up.  His name was Dral Tulag.  He had been a host since his youth.  He hardly remembers the times when he was free.  He only knows that they were infinitely happier.

Dral Tulag.  I am not your usual controller. I told Dral.

No. Dral realized.  Yeerk feel sad.  Bloch never feel sad for Dral Tulag.

From Dral's memories, I see that Bloch two-three-thee was Dral's controller.  Yes, Dral.  I am David Hunting, the morphing human.  Did you see me crash into Yeerk Pool just now?

I already knew that he had in fact seen me, but I needed to make him aware of it.  Yes. Bug Fighter go splash.

I became yeerk and took you.  I need to rescue my friend.  I need your help.  After you help me, you will be free.

Dral Tulag help!  Dral Tulag want to be free!!!!

"Hey!  Bloch two-three-thee!" said another Hork-Bajir-Controller.  "Visser Three wants us by the prisoner!  Four more andalite bandits have appeared, and Visser Three has challenged Visser Seven to destroy them."

Tobias and Aximili told me about the Garatron.  The Inspector who will soon be a member of the Council of Thirteen.  Two mysterious vacancies opened up during the deliberation of Visser One's trial.  Perhaps he was Visser Seven, previously.

The other Hork-Bajir controller gave me a Dracon Beam.  Sweet.  He escorted me over to the fight worthy of the Coliseum.  A blue blur whizzed around Aximili.  A wounded polar bear and a beaten Bald eagle lay close to the Yeerk Pool's edge.  A red-tailed hawk flew overhead.

Woooaaaaaaaaaah! I heard Marco saw.  I saw a cobra fly from the blue blur.  Marco bit the Garatron!!  But Aximili was still being beaten.

We've got to help Ax! Let's do it! Rachel commanded.

No. I said.  I got it covered.  You and Cassie get into the Yeerk Pool and morph something small that swims. Swim to the Bug Fighter and press your face or what-have-you against the green panel.  Thought-speak the code "031899"

David, what are you . . .Rachel started.

Just do it! I commanded.  Tobias, find Marco.  I'm going to need some Hork-Bajir back-up here.

The Garatron began to slow down.  He stumbled and fell. 

Aximili, I commanded, get small and swimming.  Same instructions as Cassie and Rachel.  Only I need you to start up the Bug Fighter and get her out of the pool.

I . . . I cannot . . . move . . . said the Garatron.

Yes, and very, very soon you will not be able to breathe. Visser Three said, enjoying this yeerk's defeat a little too much.  I will be sure to pass along your farewells to the Council.  My dear Inspector.

I saw two Hork-Bajir run up.  I recognized one as Ket Halpek.  Tobias and Marco. 

Okay, Dral, time to get ready. I said to my host.

Dral ready!  What do you need me to do?

I ran up to the inspector and held his body to mine.  I raised my Dracon beam at Visser Three.  "Don't make a move, Visser." I said in Dral's voice.

What's going here? Visser Three muttered.

Tobias and Marco joined my side.  That's not your usual Hork-Bajir morph. Tobias said.

It's not a morph. I replied back.

Say that again? Marco asked confused.

Ok, Dral, I said to my host, I'm leaving you now.  I need you to keep the Dracon Beam pointed at the Visser.  Do not fire.

Dral Tulag can do.  Dral help David Hunting.

I left Dral's head.  As a yeerk, I plopped down onto the ground.  I demorphed quickly. 

What the hell? Tobias wondered aloud.

You, treacherous human! Visser Three shouted.

"Good work, Dral." I said.

"Dral free!  Dral move own eyes.  Can Dral kill Visser now?"

"Not yet." I said.  I bent down to the dying garatron.  I placed my hand upon him and acquired him.  My arm turned blue.  I morphed him.  As soon as I did everything felt . . . slow.

Aximili, where's the Bug Fighter? I asked.

After what felt like a minute, Aximili finally answered.

IIIII . . . caaaaaaaaannnn'tttt . . . ggggeeeeetttt . . . ooouuuuuutttt . . . . oooofff . . . tthhe . . . waaaatteerr.  Ttttoooo . . . . dddeeeenssee.

He was speaking so slowly.  Then I realized.  I'm too fast.

You three, stay here!  I said.  Of course to them, they heard Youthree,stayhere!

I jumped into the water and ran through the water to the Bug Fighter, causing mini-whirlpools in my wake.  I than began to run around the Bug Fighter faster and faster. 

Wwwwhaaaaatt'sss gggooooiiiiiinngg ooooonn? Rachel asked.

Hheeeeeee'ss cccaaaaauuuuussiiiiinngg aaaa ffuuuunnnnnnneeeeelll! Marco realized.

Sure enough, a wall of water formed around the Bug Fighter until the Bug Fighter was actually laying upon dry land. 

Can you get out now, Aximili?

Yyyyeeeessss. Aximili said as the Bug Fighter slowly hovered above the Yeerk Pool. I got out of the water and the whirlpool collapsed.

Tobias, Marco, Dral, and I got into the Bug Fighter and Aximli took us out the way we came in.

I demorphed and noticed a bubble not being used and two bubbles each holding a trout.

This is Pemalite Technology, David. Rachel said matter-of-factly.

"Yes it is." I said.  "Are you going to ask a question?"

Aximili was himself at the helm of the Bug Fighter.  Tobias and Marco were still Hork-Bajir, and Rachel and Cassie were Trout in bubbles. 

Can I ask one question, David? Tobias asked me.

Not counting that one . . yes.  But I do not guarantee an answer. I said tersely.

Fine. Tobias said drawing in a breath.  Who's that? Tobias was pointing at Dral.

"Dral Tulag was an involuntary host.  To escape the Yeerk Pool, I morphed a yeerk and infested him.  Now he will be the newest addition to Jara Hamee's colony."

"Dral is free!  Dral rescue andalites!"

Ummm, actually Dral . . Marco said as he began to demorph.  Cassie and Rachel demorphed as well.

"You human folk.  How human folk morph like andalites?"

"That's a long story, Dral." Cassie said lightly.

Dral pointed at Tobias.  "You're a birdie!"

That's an even longer story.

I dropped the Animorphs and Dral off at the colony.  They welcomed Dral with open arms. 

There was an uneasy silence as I was about to leave in the Bug Fighter.  I felt the tension as I walked to the ship. 

"David?" I suddenly heard.  It was Rachel.  She looked at me and extended her hand.  "Thanks."

I took it.  "Anytime. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to save the galaxy.  Keep Earth safe while I do so, would ya?"

I think we can handle that. Tobias said.

"Oh, and next time you need an interim leader . . ." I said waving my finger from Animorph to Animorph suggesting I was going to pick someone.  Marco cleared his throat, expecting me to pick him.  "Go with Tobias."

"What?!" Marco blurted.

I'm nobody's leader. Tobias said strongly.

"That's exactly what Jake said when **_you_** hand-picked him." I said remembering Jake's story on when they first got their powers.

Marco nodded his head in agreeing understanding.  Than got a confused look on his face as if he were wondering why he didn't think of that first.

I got into my Bug Fighter and flew to the _Proteus_. 

"Well, everything is just peachy now." I said to Ayla as I entered the Bridge.  "I need you to find everything you can on the Yeerk's Seizure Campaign on the Garatron Home World.  I'll be going to Melissa's and be back in about—"

"David," Ayla said, interrupting me, "there is some kind of message being transmitted openly, but the transmission is masked and coded.  The Yeerks are having a hard time decoding it.  If they did, they'd realize it's coming from one of there own Sub-vissers."

"Really?  Which Sub-Visser?" I asked.

Ayla seemed to hesitate before answering.  "Sub-visser five-hundred-nine."

I stopped breathing.  My heartbeats were painful and constricting.  I recognized the name. 

"Stephanie."


	49. Torn

**_ June 24, 2000 10:50 PM_**

****

"What does the transmission say, Ayla?" I asked tenitively.

"Ummmm" Ayla muttered, not wanting to answer.

"Ayla!"

"She's beckoning you. She wants to meet with you in private."

"Fuck . . . . . . No."

"I agree." Ayla said. "She is still a controller. 91% chance that this is a trap."

"It's always a trap." I muttered. "Where's the source?"

"Her room. A device hooked up to an otherwise human computer. The computer has AIM. Log onto screenname AngelEyes014."

"New screenname." I noticed. I noticed that Steph's new screenname was similar to the name I gave Cassie: AngelEyes018. "Ayla, secure line. Log in."

"This is a mistake." Ayla said condescendingly.

"Just do it!"

**JadedLion:** What do you want, Sub-Visser?

**AngelEyes018:** Just throwing caution to the wind, morph-human?

**JadedLion: **_I_ have nothing to worry about. You on the other hand.

**AngelEyes018:** So I hear. You've been causing quite a stir. Haven't been seeing a lion lately. Wondering if you're still in the game.

**JadedLion: **What do you want?

**AngelEyes018: **Is that anyway to talk to an ex-girlfriend?

I hit the warn button on my dialogue window.

**AngelEyes018: **Don't be a dick, David!

**JadedLion:** Then tell me what you want, Aftran. I won't ask you a third time.

**AngelEyes018: **I want out. I want out of this ridiculous host and a new assignment. I want a Garatron!

**AngelEyes018: **Rumor has it you have a Bug Fighter at your disposal. One which cannot be traced. So, I'm going to call a taxi and my fare will be this host. If you do not take me to the Garatron Home World, I will kill this host.

**JadedLion:** Why should that bother me?

**AngelEyes018:** Please. Do you expect me to believe you care nothing for this girl?

**JadedLion:** Why should I care for a person I never met?

She was typing for a long time but her next message was simply this:

**AngelEyes018: **Oh, right. Silly me. Hee-Hee.

"David," Ayla said. "She originally typed: 'What the hell are you talking about? You were in love with this stupid hu' and then she erased it and typed this message she sent."

"That's odd." I said.

**JadedLion:** Besides, do you expect me to believe you'll kill your host? If you kill your host, where will you go?

**AngelEyes018: **To a better body. Maybe I'll steal a Hork-Bajir. Then use my Dracon Beam to vaporize the pretty blonde cunt that was your first! You remember my handy Dracon Beam, don't you?

"She's bluffing." Ayla said. "Visser Three revoked her weapon issue following her failure ten months ago. She's strictly a recon unit now."

**JadedLion:** Ha Ha Ha. You may think you have secrets from Andalites. Secrets from the Yeerks. Secrets from me. But you don't.

**JadedLion: **If you really want a reassignment, I'll e-mail the good visser and tell him that I ain't never going back to Shit Haven, and tell the visser to go ahead and give you your weapon issue back. Then you can vaporize the entire southeast of Georgia for all I care! I don't give a flying fucking fig!

**AngelEyes018 has signed off 11:03:43**

"I must say. These yeerk attempts at bluffing are pathetic. Not when _I_ have the ability to access any computer in the known galaxy." Ayla boasted. "I am one sexy bitch."

"What have I done, Ayla?" I said worriedly.

"Do not worry. Following Visser Seven's death before he could file his inspection report, the Council of Thirteen sent another Council candidate, along with Councilor Eight to investigate with a blue band regiment at their side."

"So Visser Three won't try anything." I realized. "Which means all the yeerk forces are under high scrutiny."

"It helps that Councilor Eight and Visser Three are friendly."

"So Stephanie's plan . . . ."

"I theorize with a projected 73% accuracy that Sub-Visser five-hundred-nine's proposal was a desperate attempt to escape the judgment of a Councilor."

"That would mean she was telling the truth. It wasn't a trap." I figured out. "And what about that business with forgetting that I never met the real Stephanie. Shouldn't she remember that shit?"

"The Sub-Visser seems to be in a lot of stress."

"Yeah, I guess, but still, it makes me wonder." I sighed to myself. "Oh, Stephanie."

"Incoming Instant message from Fluffer126."

**Fluffer126:** David? Where are you?

Melissa.


	50. Old Habits Die Hard

**_July 9, 2000 7:00 AM_**  
  
The deer could not sense me. She was calmly drinking water from the creek, not suspecting a wolf lay in wait. She rose her head to listen, but heard only the wind.  
  
I focused my eyes on her. I would wait for the right moment. She dipped her snout back into the water. NOW!  
  
I ran. My untiring wolf legs sprinted to my prey. She had barely lifted her head before I pounced on her, knocking her over sideways into the creek. I clamped my jaws on her neck and ended her life. I gorged on her, tasting deer flesh, watered down by the flowing creek.  
  
This poor animal had born the brunt of my rage, and still I was unsatisfied. I howled and snarled at no one in particular. I heard birds scatter. Except one. A large bird swooped in close to me and landed on a branch.  
  
What the hell, David?  
  
Leave me alone, Tobias.  
  
Was that really necessary?  
  
You're one to talk.  
  
This seems vaguely familiar. You've gone from crow to doe.  
  
I let the water flow around my paws and teeth.'A little water clears me of this deed.' I said, loosely quoting _MacBeth_. Another thing I haven't done in a long time.  
  
Something on your mind, David? You seemed awful cocky after you rescued Cassie from the Yeerk Pool a few weeks ago. I was expecting 'Arrogant Jerk'-David. I got to tell you, 'Tortured-David' wasn't what I was expecting.  
  
Have you been following me, Feathers?" I thought-spoke/said as I made the transition from wolf to human.  
  
The Sea Blade may be able to hide itself from Radar and Yeerk Sensors, but not from the eyes of a hawk. Tobias said, matter-of-factly. Nor can a Dolphin be fooled by a whale-shaped force field. Still, its rather ingenious David. Those that care, can't tell the difference, and those that can tell the difference, don't care.  
  
"Except for you six." I countered.

Tobias flew down and morphed to human. "And a masked signal may confuse a Yeerk or an Andalite, but not a Chee. And not to the Chee's allies."

I said nothing as I stared at Tobias. When I first met him, I found him sub-human, less a man than me. Now, I regard him as a close friend, arguably more human than myself, and admittedly more a man than me. More a man than any of us as far as I was concerned. Jake was fast on his way to old man mode, but when it comes to Cassie or his family, he reverts back to a mad and angry fifteen-year-old. Tobias has no family except Aximili, and he doesn't seem to lose his cool when it comes to Rachel. I admire that about him. Not that I'd ever tell him.

"Stephanie sent that message." Tobias deduced.

"Aftran sent that message. Sub-visser five-hundred-nine." I corrected.

"Can you really discern the two?"

"Yeah, its easy. I never met the real Stephanie. I'm not an Animorph anymore, Tobias. You needn't worry about me."

"Stop feeding me lines of shit, David. I'm your friend, but if you don't want things to get personal fine. Let's call it evening the score. You saved us. I'll save you."

"What the Fuck?! 'Saving'. Do I have a fucking sign on my back that says 'save me'?! What the fuck do I need saving from?"

"Yourself."

"Fuck you!" I shouted, having once again no real statement to refute that. "I can handle Stephanie. I have to do it now and I have to do it alone!"

"Yeah, that's what Jake and Marco thought, remember?" Tobias rationalized. "Marco tried to handle his mother. Jake tried to handle his father. Both of them royally fucked up, but there's a few, big differences between them and you."

"What? That Stephanie knows who I am? Edriss knows about Marco. That isn't the case."

"Visser One is a lot less scrupulous than Sub-visser five-hundred-nine," Tobias retorted, "but that's not one of the main differences."

"What is?" I had to ask.

"One)A boy and his girl is a way different can of worms than a boy and his parent. Two)Jake and Marco kept us close enough so that we could back them up. You keep us at such a distance, we wouldn't know how to save you."

"Why the fuck do you think I do that, Feathers? Hmm? Could it be because the last person I let get _really_ close to me, scattered my heart, and used the shards to lacerate my mind?!!! HUH?!"

"Look, I get it. She fucked with your head. All the more reason not to deal with this girl alone. You can't handle it!"

"Don't cast the first stone, Tobias! You stand there all high and mighty and judgmental; let's see how well _you_ handle it when Taylor Jane Perkins rears her half-metal head back into _your_ life!"

Tobias stood there slightly shaken, but stone-faced. "Well, I can only hope my friends will be there to help me. Because I don't feel in control when I'm around her. If . . . . _when_ she comes back, I doubt I'll have very much control on my emotions or myself."

"Well, that's where we're different, Tobias. I have control over myself."

"You think so?" Tobias said as if I said something ironic. "Look at your arms."

My arms were covered in gray fur. My forearms were longer and my fingers were way longer than they should be.

"Now look into the stream." Tobias commanded.  
  
I looked. Red and blue lines went across my nose and cheeks. Baboon. I had half-morphed baboon.  
  
"David," Tobias said to me gently, "this is what happens to you when Stephanie's involved. You lose control of your emotions. You lose control of your morphs. You lose control of yourself."  
  
"Maybe," I said as I shed all simian features, "but I don't have any other option. If I don't take care of it now, it . . . . I need to take care of it now!"  
  
I morphed to Golden Eagle and prepared to take off.  
  
"It'll never happen, David!" Tobias shouted up at me. "No matter what you say, what you do, or what you try, it'll never happen!"  
  
What won't?  
  
"You will never be alone."  
  
Well, I can't expect everything to go my way, can I? Something will go wrong. I said as I took off. It always does.  
  
I flew to my ship and made my way to the bridge.  
  
"Ayla, do you think you can, . . . ." I started.

"Melissa has been trying to IM you for the past hour." Ayla interrupted.  
  
"Ug! Enough with the IM'ing. It's too early in the morning." I complained, but I sat down at the terminal I reserved for IM convos anyway.  
  
**Fluffer126:** David? David, are you there?  
**JadedLion:** Yes, darling, what is it?  
**Fluffer126:** Are you coming by, later? My parents will be out.  
**JadedLion:** I'm not overly fond of sneaking around like a bunch of High Schoolers.  
**Fluffer126:** What do you mean? We are High Schoolers.  
**JadedLion:** #glare#   
**Fluffer126:** Well, you know what I mean.  
**Fluffer126:** Why are you glaring at me? What's been with you? You've been acting weird for a while now.  
**Fluffer126:** And before you make some smart-ass crack, I mean weirder than usual!  
**JadedLion:** I just have some things to take care of.  
**Fluffer126:** What things?  
**JadedLion:** Just things! Ok?  
**Fluffer126:** Just tell me.  
**JadedLion:** Why?  
**Fluffer126:** Just tell me.  
**JadedLion:** No  
**Fluffer126:** Keeping secrets again? Really?  
**JadedLion:** You don't want to know, trust me.  
**Fluffer126:** I do want to know.   
**Fluffer126: **David, what's going on? You're starting to scare me.  
  
"An Andalite ship is entering the atmosphere." Ayla announced.  
  
"What??" I shouted incredulously.  
  
"Varying reports. Some files list the ships name as the _Crusader_. Some as the _Ralek River._ Either way, it is a MSTL-37."  
  
"37?!"  
  
"A **M**obile **S**cience and **T**echnology **L**ab ship. According to the ship's records, it has been re-formatted to serve the Unit's mission, but the second tier lab level is still operational."  
  
**Fluffer126:** David?  
**Fluffer126:** David?  
**Fluffer126:** David? Where are you?!!  
**JadedLion:** I need to go now, Melissa. I'll talk to you later.  
  
I signed off and addressed Ayla.  
  
"How many Andalites?" I asked.  
  
"Four. Commander Gonrod-Isfall-Sonili. Intelligence Advisor Arbat-Elivat- Estoni. Warrior Aloth-Attamil-Gahar. Aristh Estrid-Corill-Darrath. They are Unit O."  
  
"What is their mission?"  
  
"Assassinate Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime, Third Visser of the Yeerk Empire."  
  
"You've got to be kidding me!" I said cynically. "Good luck with that."  
  
"I predict a less than twelve percent rate of success." Ayla said. "The odds suck."  
  
"They do suck. Suck so bad the Andalites shouldn't even consider this suicide mission. Look deeper. More in-depth profiles on all four andalites."  
  
"Commander Gonrod-Isfall-Sonili. Age: 93 andalite years---"  
  
"Translate to human increments."  
  
"Age: 62 years. Has the distinction of winning the Torlay Ifla, the award for piloting excellence, for fifteen straight years, the most any one pilot has earned that honor in the history of the Andalite military. Was until recently, serving a thirty-year sentence at the Gargan Military Correctional Institute for cowardice under fire. Was granted a conditional pardon of wir'vijon."  
  
"Define Wir'vijon."  
  
"Wir'vijon: andalite concept of serving the people valiantly and in the approved manner for reasons of redemption."  
  
How odd that Wir'vijon sounds like Wyrdvigon, a Korla-Mak word meaning "quest of final judgment." Wyrphat'd. Wyrdvigon. Wir'vijon. Language is a funny thing.  
  
"Commander Gonrod was killed in action aboard the _Ralek River_ on Rakkam Garoo, fifth planet of the star Nine-sifter."  
  
"That's the Garatron home world. When did he allegedly die?"  
  
"Three days ago."  
  
"What? Could he have even been on that rock three days ago? Compute practicality."  
  
"I have concluded that it is impossible for Commander Gonrod to have been aboard the _Ralek River_ on Rakkam Garoo, been mistaken for dead, and travel here to Terra Firma in three days."  
  
"So either the ship's roster is wrong, or . . ."  
  
"Something smells fishy."  
  
"You've been using that expression a lot lately."  
  
"What do you expect? I spend most of my time pretending to be a whale."  
  
"The others."  
  
"Arbat-Elivat-Estoni. Age: 41 Terran Years. Uh-oh."  
  
"What 'Uh-oh'?"  
  
"Arbat is Alloran-Semitur-Corass's little brother."  
  
"Holy shit."

"Apex Level Intelligence Advisor. He knows everything. Was until recently, serving as an adjunct at the University of Advanced Scientific Theory. Apex AI Arbat was killed in action aboard the _Ralek River_ on Rakkam Garoo, fifth planet of the star Nine-sifter."

"That so?" I wondered incredulously. "Next."

"Warrior Aloth-Attamil-Gahar. Age: 32 Terran Years. Served in the Secret Forces sect of Andalite Military as a sharpshooter and assassin. Was until recently, serving a life sentence at the Gargan Military Correctional Institute for illegal trade: wetware."

"Wetware?"

"He was convicted of selling organs off the battlefield."

"Ew."

"Was granted a conditional pardon of wir'vijon. Warrior Aloth was killed in action aboard the _Ralek River_ on Rakkam Garoo, fifth planet of the star Nine-sifter."

"Quite a coincidence." I said. "The last one?"

"Aristh Estrid-Corill-Darrath. Hmmmm, that's odd."

"What?"

"No other record of her existence."

"That can't be right. Can you access computers on the Andalite Home World."

"Yes, I'm doing that now. Here we go: Estrid-Corill-Darrath. Age: 14 Terran years. Second year graduate student at the University of Advanced Scientific Theory."

"A fourteen-year-old grad student? Is that normal on the Andalite Home World?"

"No. The girl must be a prodigy."

"But not a cadet. Something is definitely wrong. Let's stop in on these Andalites."

_Proteus_ made its way toward the Andalites' ship.

"Ayla," I commanded, "put a bulletin on the chee-net that Andalites have landed."

"Not necessary. The four andalites have just arrived at the printing mill for _The Chronicle_ a newspaper owned by controllers. The Animorphs are there rescuing Lorne King."

"Erek King's 'father'." I realized. "So they all ready know."

I found the ship. There was a security system, but Ayla bypassed that easily. I morphed Baboon and found a rack of Shredder Weapons. Three large Shredder rifles and many, many small sidearm shredders. I took a small shredder and waited inside the ship.

Four Andalites walked in. I fired stun level beams at the four of them. They each slumped across the floor.

Three adult men and one young, nubile girl. It's like a pedophiles' website.

Is it the visser? The female said, afraid.

No, its the other one. said a strong authoritative voice.

I stepped out of the shadows and demorphed. "David Hunting's the name. Fucking things up is the game."

What's your game, renegade? said the same authoritative voice.

"I'm the Wrench in the Works. The Fly in the Ointment. The Dildo up your Ass." I said as I walked slowly to the young female. Estrid. "So you're the prodigy. Smarter than any creature currently on Terra Firma . . . . including me. I think I'll enjoy a piece of your DNA." I said as I placed my hand on her cheek and concentrated on her brain, remembering all I learned about Frolis Maneuvers.

I looked at the three males trying to distinguish who was who. One had dull hooves. "Dull hooves. You must be the old fart, Gonrod." I said to the andalite with dull hooves. He was unconscious.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha said an Andalite voice I hadn't heard yet. His tone-of-'voice' reminded me of Marco's smugness. My guess it was Aloth. He's the youngest of the males, and a sharpshooter would be cocky.

"Still, even an old, decrepit, cowardly criminal such as yourself would need exceptional eyesight to be such a good pilot." I said as I placed a finger between his eyes and acquired a piece of his DNA.

I walked over the youngest male, who was also the biggest male. He was the biggest andalite I've ever seen. He was larger than Alloran by a small margin, but still, bigger is bigger.

"You're a big guy." I said to the large Andalite. "And with _two_ shredders on your bandoleer, you must be the sharpshooter."

Clever. said the Authoritative Voice.

Yeah, a real Niedhin here.said the cocky voice sarcastically.

I acquired most of Aloth's DNA. I wanted the big size.

To the last andalite, "You must be Arbat. Alloran's little brother." I taunted.

You would do wise not to speak my brother's name with such contempt, _human_. the Authoritative Voice said, thought-speaking 'human' as if it were synonymous with 'trash'.

"You know, Arbat, I've known you all of four minutes, I can tell you're just a big dick, aren't you? Your brother was a dick. A genocidal dick. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from . . . . the other apple. Did your Daddy tail-whip you when you guys were kids or something?"

Such insolent, disgusting, . . . Arbat began.

"Yeahyeahyeah. Blah-blah-blah. Humans sucks. That's fascinating. Shut up." I said quickly and dryly as I shot a stun level shredder at Arbat again, knocking him out. I then acquired a piece of his DNA.

Leave him alone you . . . . monster! Estrid screamed.

"Shut up, geek girl."

What do you want with our DNA?

"Your brains, Aloth's brawn, Gonrod's eyes. Arbat's . . . . leftovers." I said. "Put 'em all together and whadda ya get?" I replied singsong as I morphed my composite Andalite form for the first time. Very nice.

PAIN! My head throbbed. I realized the pain was psychosomatic. A psychological shock to becoming exponentially smarter almost instantly. I looked around with four eyes, and I saw the world . . . . completely. I saw the metal of the walls and I deduced the movement paths of the electrons within the atoms . . . I looked outside a window and saw the wind blow away a leaf. In that simple picture, I saw a thousand different biological and physical postulates, principles, and theorems. The sudden shock was becoming too much and I demorphed quickly.

"Whoa! What a mind job! That's one powerful noggin you got there, girly." I taunted Estrid. I took a shredder rifle off the wall and slung it over my shoulder, all while keeping the small shredder in my right hand. "I'm taking these, okay? Toodles!" I said quickly as I left and I boarded the _Proteus_.

"How were the blue deer? Friendly, I assume." Ayla asked me sarcastically as I came onto the ship.

As I flew away something occurred to me. "Why did I do that?"

"Do what?" Ayla asked me.

"I just attacked four andalite warriors. What for?"

"You questioned their motives for being here. Your suspicions were not unfounded."

"But did I get any information to confirm my suspicions? No. I just went in their and brutalized them."

"The Animorphs can and will handle the Andalites of the _Ralek River_. It is what you depend on them for."

"I'd rather not have to depend on anyone for anything right now."

"You depend on me." Ayla said matter-of-factly.

"You're different . . . you're . . . . . ."

"Not alive?"

"I didn't say that."

"My programing was copied from Erek and Lorne King. They are in essence two of my 'fathers'. I am basically a Chee, in a yeerk-made body."

"With Pemalite and Dayang upgrades."

"Are they not alive?"

"What happened to your ego? The I-don't-need-to-prove-anything-I-know-I'm-kick-ass ego I programmed?"

"Everyone gets a bruised ego from time to time. You should know that."

"Ok, I see your point. You think therefore you are. You are alive, Ayla, and I guess I do depend on you, but I created you."

"Still, I'm a person, you depend on?" Ayla pressed.

"Yes, you are a _person_ I depend on." I admitted.

"I was right." Ayla said in a very I-told-you-so tone of voice.

"Oh, there's that ego I was talking about." I joked. "You drive me crazy."

"What are daughters for?" Ayla said like a spoiled six-year-old girl. "And as for your recent aggression, it may have something to do with your current feelings of frustration."

"Frustration?" I asked.

"You know, . . . her."

"Here we go." I muttered in exasperation.

"It makes sense. You've been taking your frustrations out on a lot of people lately. Melissa, Tobias, that deer."

"You were watching me this morning?"

"And listening. I heard what went on between you and Tobias."

"Unbelievable!"

"Tobias neglected to mention one other difference between your situation and Jake and Marco's."

"Out of sheer masochistic curiosity, I'll ask 'what?'"

"Stephanie poses no immediate threat to you."

I was shocked by what Ayla just said. She was right. Stephanie couldn't do a damn thing. Her claim to kill Stephanie was a bluff. Aftran wasn't suicidal, just stupid.

"She has no power. No troops. Nothing more than watch-and-wait mission assignment. She has underlings, but no access to weapons." Ayla listed. "Let it go."

Mr. and Mrs. Chapman were gone as per usual, and Melissa had just returned from the gym. I flew down onto a branch outside her window. As I landed, all the small birds flew away, fleeing the predator. As Melissa got into her bedroom, I pecked on her window. She looked startled, probably because she was about to undress. She went to her window and opened it.

"Yes, David?" she asked me with some worried anticipation in her voice.

Can we talk? I asked her.

She smiled and she let me hop in. I noticed a small cockatiel fly away from the tree as I hopped into her room.

If I had not been so caught up in Melissa's smile, I'd have realized who that cockatiel was.


	51. Tobias' Secret Council

For the record, I'm pissed we can't use the "less than" symbol anymore.**_

* * *

_**

_**July 10, 2000 12:32 AM**_

**TOBY**

My name is Toby Hamee. My people call me a seer. According to the English Language, a seer is someone who can foretell the future. I can't see the future, but to my fellow Hork-Bajir, it must seem that way. Except to my parents. They know better. My father may not be very smart, but he is most assuredly wise, the wisdom you can only get by being out there in the world. I can only hope to be that wise someday, by living.

And living is what I'm doing now. Learning about the world. After my fellow Hork-Bajir taught me all they could, the Chee took it upon themselves to tutor me. I have been taught by many great Chee who have been seen much of the world. Sir Isaac Newton's assistant. A student of Aristotle. George Washington's maid.

As much as my fellow Hork-Bajir's simpleness can frustrate me, I take comfort in their simpleness when I realize that simple minds are poor breeding grounds for treachery. I am constantly reminded of this by my dealings with the humans.

The Animorphs. Human and Andalite minds are fertile grounds for treachery.

I had been invited to what my namesake, Tobias, called an "emergency war council". I had a feeling this had to do with David Hunting. This human can almost define "treachery" or "misguided nobility". I can see David Hunting's intentions are good, but there is an old human saying, "the road to Hell was paved by good intentions."

We were in the valley of my people. Tobias was here. Erek the Chee was here. Rachel, the animorph, had been here most of the day. I watched as two bats and a horned owl land on the ground and change shape.

Aximili, Marco, and Cassie.

"I want to go on record and say this is fucked up." Marco said. In moments of fear or frustration, humans will often resort to vulgarity. For all my intelligence, I still don't understand this.

>I realize this is 'fucked up', Marco, but necessary all the same.> Tobias retorted.

"You want to know what's fucked up? Why are you not wearing a shirt?" Rachel asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Marco responded as if Rachel was crazy. "It's ninety fucking degrees in the middle of the night. I'd take my _skin_ off if I could."

>I, too, have reservations, Tobias.> Aximili stated. >It feels as if we are betraying Prince Jake.>

"To catch a traitor, you gotta become one." Marco said bitterly.

>We're not betraying Jake or David. Nor are we committing treason, however that term would apply to us.> Tobias responded. >We all decided if our suspicions were correct, the best course of action would be not to include Jake. Jake would take the safe way out in this situation. You know that.>

"Are our suspicions correct?" Cassie asked.

Tobias cocked his hawk head to Rachel. Rachel was seething, looking down at the ground.

"Yes. Everything we suspected is true." Rachel hissed. "I saw it for myself in cockatiel morph. He has a heavy relationship with Melissa Chapman. He has a cloaked ship. Too large to be a Bug Fighter, which means Blade Ship."

"More specifically, the Sea Blade." Marco deduced.

"That horrible weapon the Yeerks built for my mutated brethren?" I asked.

>Yes. David now has a powerful weapon, and enough cunning to do some serious damage with it. Our question is 'Do we trust David?' 'Do we know he won't do something horrible?'> Tobias explained.

"He's already done something horrible. He's let loose his perversions on a weak, misguided girl!" Rachel exploded. I knew why she was upset. This Melissa girl they spoke of was a friend of hers.

"I don't know that's a fair judgment of Melissa, Rachel, but David can be very charming and charismatic when he wants to, and he knows it." Cassie said.

"Do you think the relationship is a fake?" Marco asked.

"Meaning what?" Rachel accused.

"Meaning, does David really care about Melissa, or is he using her?"

"David gains no strategic value with a relationship with the girl. If anything, he's putting himself at risk." I pointed out.

"Not just himself, but all of us." Marco amended.

"I don't think even David knows how he feels about her. We all remember how love has not been kind to him in the past." Cassie added.

>Which brings up another point.> Tobias said. >Erek, tell them.>

"Sub-visser five hundred nine has been contacting David." Erek explained. "The transmissions are scrambled yet broadly cast. Then they disappear entirely. Which can only happen if somehow the signal is being masked such that we can't trace it."

"How can the Chee not trace a signal? Don't you have the top technology in the universe?" Rachel asked.

"My masters, the Pemalites, were technological geniuses, but cryptology was a limited field for them. They used it for games, not to hide secrets."

"During the brief time David resided in this valley, he had a computer that he seemed to talk to alot." I mentioned.

>Yes, the mysterious Ayla. I heard this name mentioned several times while we were living together.> Aximili added.

>We also know that David has had contact with an alien race called the Dayangs. We know this because he acquired and morphed one.> Tobias said.

"The Dayang race has the most sophisticated encryption technology in existence. Not even we Chee can crack it." Erek explained.

>It is ingenious in its simplicity. Our scientist have theorized it is based on a property of plintoharmonic physics which-->

"And . . . . . snooze!" Marco said. "Basically, we're fucked."

_>We_ are not fucked, Marco. If anything, the Yeerks are fucked.> Tobias said.

"Along with perhaps half the galaxy!"

>The full capabilities of the Sea Blade is unknown. The computer program named Ayla, may or may not be based on the sentient Chee program. Either way its full capabilities are not known. His Dayang encryption is unfathomable.> Aximili summed up.

"Especially since it can be used both ways." Erek said. "He could conceivably use it to break any code in the galaxy. No electronic knowledge in the galaxy is safe from him. Including me. He could very well tap into my circuits via the Chee-net and witness everything that I'm witnessing. We also know he's visited the Pemalite Ship and helped himself to a few of our equipment."

"We experienced that first hand during our last trip to the Yeerk Pool." Rachel brought up.

"He implanted some kind of device. He now knows whenever someone enters, leaves, or moves the ship."

"That could be a security precaution against the Yeerks." Cassie suggested.

>Maybe. It is clear that David is a threat to all of his enemies.> Tobias said.

"But is David our enemy?" I asked. "He is genuinely interested in the well-being of my people."

"A possible army at his disposal." Marco suggested.

"As much as we respect David, my father would never agree to that. Only Jake could summon us so freely. In addition to all this, do not forget the secret project he's got planning on my home world."

>David likes his secrets. That may be something we can count on. There's nothing we can do about the Blade Ship or Ayla, but like I said, David likes his secrets. He's also kinda theatrical.> Tobias said.

"Of course." Cassie said. "He won't use any of his power full force until he's ready for it to be public."

"He likes to operate in the shadows, then unveils his master plan like he's releasing King Kong." Marco said.

"You would mention King Kong, Marco." Rachel joked. Later, Erek explained to me that _King Kong_ was a story about a giant gorilla. Gorilla is Marco's main battle morph.

>I'm mainly concerned with two things: Melissa and Stephanie.> Tobias said.

"We can't tell Jake about Melissa. He'll insist she join us, and David will go ape-shit." Marco deduced.

"And encountering Stephanie again could tear him apart. Figuratively speaking." Cassie stated.

>Erek, I think we need you to leave.> Tobias said.

"I understand. Good luck." Erek said as he walked away.

"Through no fault of their own, we can't even trust the Chee anymore. This is ridiculous. Either David's an enemy and we fear him, or he isn't and we don't." Marco gripped.

"One should always have a healthy respect of their allies." I said. I think they understood my meaning. "Why am I here, Tobias? Out of all of us, I've had the least experience with David."

>I think David left you something.> Tobias accused.

"His old computer." I answered truthfully.

>Toby . . .> Tobias pressured.

"And a Bug Fighter." I admitted.

"He gave you a Bug Fighter?!" Marco exploded.

"For emergency purposes only." I said. "That is why I don't think David is of any harm to us."

>He remains a danger to himself. We must find out what he's planning. We have to find the Sea Blade.> Tobias said. >We need your ship, Toby.>


	52. Welcome to the Proteus

_**July 9, 2000 12:55 AM**_

**TOBIAS**

>What's your status down, there?> I asked. 'Status'? Ug, I sounded like some kid pretending he was a general. I was waiting patiently in Toby's Bug Fighter, given to her by David for emergency use. We commandeered it. Toby had been taught how to fly, but we let Ax do the flying. Rachel and Marco in cockatiel morphs spied on David and Melissa. Cassie was perched on Toby's shoulder in parrot morph. You see, in our small little Bug Fighter, we had Toby Hamee and five other Hork-Bajir. One of whom was her recently freed uncle, Toma Hamee. Six Hork-Bajir. Seven if you count Ax in morph. I was perched on Ax's top horn, over-seeing everything.

>I think they're watching a movie.> Marco said about David and Melissa. >_The Matrix>_

>What idiotic super-geek would think _The Matrix_ is a date movie?> Rachel grumbled.

>Look, don't waste time.> I commanded, and every time I did so, I felt more and more uncomfortable. Now I know how Jake feels.

No, I've got a long way to go before I know how Jake feels.

>If he's preoccupied, now's our best chance to sneak aboard his Sea Blade.> I said.

_>His_ Sea Blade. That makes my skin crawl.> Marco said flying back into our Bug Fighter.

>Ax, have you found the Sea Blade yet?>

>I think so, Tobias. This is one of David's modified Bug Fighters, or Sea Bugs as Toby calls them. If anything can find the Sea Blade, this can.> Ax reassured.

Sure enough, it looked as if he was right. Our Bug Fighter switched to auto-pilot and parked itself into the ship that birthed it.

Four birds and seven Hork-Bajir exited the Bug Ship. My fellow Animorphs demorphed. Ax led us down a hallway that he believed may lead to the bridge. Out of the five of us who have been on the Sea Blade, we figured Ax would remember the way the past.

"Yeesh." Marco shuddered. "A Blade Ship is a Blade Ship is a Blade Ship. This thing still gives me the creeps. Who knows what kind of modifications David has added."

"We need to find someplace to hide and morph." Cassie said.

"And a place for myself and my warriors to hide." Toby brought up.

"If we can get to the bridge, we won't need to hide," Rachel said, "but we need to do it quickly, before David returns."

"Ever feel like you are being watched?" said a Hork-Bajir named Biran Kelk.

"Creepy place." replied his brother, Yenke Kelk

"I hear ya', Horn-heads." Marco agreed.

>The Bridge should be this way, Tobias> Ax said.

"What is the plan, Tobias?" Toby asked me.

>We find out what David is doing and intervene as necessary.>

"Why are we here?"

>David will expect us to come. He won't be expecting you.>

"You're starting to sound like Jake, Bird-brain." Marco grumbled.

Ax led us into a room we recognized. In fact, there was still a flame mark from Visser Three's horrible morph on the ceiling. The Bridge of the Sea Blade.

>Ax-man, try to gain access the computer. See what kind of work David has done recently.>

Ax went to work for a while, while we all looked around noticing the differences. A lot of human equipment was connected here and there. Some computer consoles, monitors, even a Playstation 2. There were also machine parts that I did not recognize. Alien.

>GARGASLOP!> Ax yelled in frustration what I can only guess is an Andalite explicative. >Dayang encryption. We are, as you humans would say, shit out of luck.>

Suddenly, on the main monitor, a visual of the Bug Fighter Bay appeared. We watched as David flew into the open belly hatch in Golden Eagle morph and demorphed as the hatch closed.

>You must have done something, Ax. We're seeing David now.> I said.

>I don't understand how.> Ax said confused.

"Tobias won't he notice the extra Bug Fighter?" Marco asked.

"It looks like he's too busy. He's morphing." Toby said.

>Some kind of juvenile male human.> Ax stated.

"A little boy?" Cassie said, surprised.

>Tobias, the Blade Ship seems to be moving. We are heading northeast at 200 of your miles an hour.> Ax informed.

"Why does he have a little boy morph?" Rachel asked, angrily. "He just took some kid and acquired him? What does he want with the morph of a child?" She really doesn't like David.

"It could be a real person, or it could be a Frolis Composite. Knowing David, its probably the latter." Cassie said, defending David . . .sort of. "Look. His morph resembles a younger version of his true self."

>David doesn't acquire human morphs for no reason. He must have a reason for acquiring this one.> Ax rationalized.

"Guys, we came here to stop this wierdo. Stop defending him." Marco said.

>No. I corrected. We came here to prevent David from hurting himself. Going to see his ex-girlfriend would qualify as self-destructive behavior.>

"We have about as much luck with that as we would stopping Rachel from fighting."

"David appears to be readying a Bug Fighter for deployment." Toby said getting us back on track.

This was bad. We were stuck on David's Sea Blade with five restless and antsy Hork-Bajir, and without our leader.

>Ax, where are we headed?> I asked.

>I can't be sure, but, it looks like New York City.> Ax stated. >But why? David hates New York City.>

"So does my father." Cassie added.

>Ax, you stay here with Toby and continue working on the computer–> I said.

>But, Tobias, the Dayang–> Ax started.

>Just try.> I answered back. >Toby, you and your men stay here and protect Ax.>

"Aaaargh! I want fight!" said a large, but relatively young Hork-Bajir male named Garik Tarso.

Biran hit him on the head. "You wait for the Seer!"

>The rest of us will sneak aboard David's Blade Ship. Ax, keep an eye on David, tell us if something changes.>

>Yes, Pr– . . . Tobias.>

As we made our way back to the Bug Fighter Bay, we finalized our plan. Or at least, this small, little, particular part of it.

"We can't go as bugs, we'll never get there in time, and we can't morph near him, he'll hear our bones twisting." Marco complained.

"David's arrogant. We can use that."

"I think its inconceivable to him that we would sneak aboard his precious ship." Rachel spat. "Maybe we morph small rodents. Large enough for us to get there in time, and small enough so that David won't see us."

"No, we're underestimating David. He'll think of this. He'll have a plan for intruders."

>Perhaps, but if that's the case, then we're screwed already, so we might as well get on with it.> I said, as I landed and started my morph to rabbit.

Rachel was turning into a rat. Marco was turning into a mouse. Cassie was rapidly becoming a squirrel.

>What an eclectic group of rodents we are. We're like a Saturday morning cartoon.> Marco joked.

>We get to David's fighter, and we hide. No commotions.> I said.

Hissssssss.

All four of us stopped cold in our tracks. We turned our heads and came face-to-face with a frightful appearance.

A housecat.

>What's that?> Rachel asked absent-mindedly.

>It's that psycho cat of his!> Marco informed.

>Megadeth.> I said.

>What if it's David in morph?> Rachel wondered.

>Run!> I shouted.

Megadeth took a swipe at Marco and began to chase him. Cassie attacked his back-left leg and bit. Megadeth meowed in pain and did a swift flip so he was now facing Cassie. Megadeth swiped at Cassie, but foolishly went for her squirrelly tail. The way a cat would.

>It's not David. It's the real Megadeth.> I announced.

>Great. Now is that good news or bad news?> Marco wondered.

Rachel headbutted Megadeth's mid-section and clamped her teeth onto his gut. Megadeth twirled quickly around and around until he was able to bite Rachel with his teeth.

>Aaah! He's got me!>

I leapt into action. (Quite literally. I was a rabbit.) I jumped high enough to vault over Megadeth's head, but chose instead to land on him. Megadeth let go of Rachel as he got his wits about him. He chased me ferociously. I let him snap at my tail before I gave him a swift kick in the face. Megadeth snapped back from the blow and skittering across the smooth floor of the Blade Ship. The four of us hauled our furry butts out of there, but Megadeth was soon close behind.

All four of our morphs had decent vision, so we found our way into the Fighter Bay and into the particular Bug Fighter that David was working on. It seems he was squeezing his small body into a tight space so he could fix something, which is why he was a small boy.

Still, it bothered me. David didn't acquire a small child simply for maintenance work.

Megadeth stalked us into the Bug Fighter, but David (still in little boy morph) stopped him.

"Whoa. Where do you think you're going?" David said in a child's voice. "Don't think so. Go play in your room."

David, in his own body, entered the Bug Fighter, he was wearing shoes, blue jeans, a green t-shirt, a black trench coat, and a pair of sunglasses.

>It's two in the morning, what the fuck does he need sunglasses for?> Marco griped. We were all a little on edge from outrunning Megadeth.

>Tobias,> Ax called from the bridge. His thought-speech was faint, but understandable. >The Sea Blade has entered the water. We are in factin New York City. I believe this river is called the Hudson.>

>Yeeech. This should be fun.> Cassie complained sarcastically.

David sat down in his chair and activated the Bug Fighter. I noticed that the chair was not the typical chairs found in Bug Fighters built for Hork-Bajir, but a human chair of unknown manufacture. Probably something pricey. I asked Rachel about it. She mentioned something about Prada, and I drifted off.

"DNA Scanners activated." said a computerized, feminine voice.

>Tobi–, . . . . . . Shre— . . . . . .Toby's Me— . . . . . . .> Ax said, faintly. We were at the limits of thought-speech.

>Ax? Ax-man?> I tried.

>Sample Source found.> said the computerized voice.

"Lock-on." David commanded.

>What's going on?> Rachel asked.

"Ha Ha Ha." David chuckled to himself. "I've got you now!"

I craned my head and I could see on David's viewing screen that he was chasing a homeless man down an alley. The homeless man was running away as fast as he could. It was easy to see that he was running from the spaceship that was chasing him.

>He's attacking some homeless man for no reason!> Rachel yelled. >We got to stop him!>

>Wait a second.> I said, trying to calm my girlfriend.

"You seemed to be in an awful hurry to get somewhere, Wino." David said to himself as he took off his coat and shirt. "Maybe he needs a lift."

David activated something on the Bug Fighter and in the screen we could see that the homeless man was being lifted into the air.

David flash-morphed into an Andalite just as the Bug Fighter's Belly hatch opened up and deposited the homeless man.

>Man, he's even faster than Cassie. He morphed into an Andalite in seconds!> Marco observed.

But Cassie was even more observant. >Not just any Andalite. Look!>

We looked and we recognized the Andalite before us. Visser Three. At least, the host body of Visser Three. I learned his name awhile ago. War-prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.

The homeless man looked up at David/Alloran. He was a dirty, unkempt man, with unfocused expressions. "You!" He said.

>Hello, Spacey.> David said using Alloran's thought-speech.

"Whaddaya want, Andalite? I told you alls I know. You give me some booze, then you drop me off in a strange city. You was supposed to send me home. That ain't LA!"

>Of course not. It's New York. The city that never sleeps.> David/Alloran chuckled. >Tell me, Spacey. Essam and Edriss had children, right?>

>Edriss? That's the Visser One's real name!> Marco exclaimed.

"Yeah. Twins. Little boy and a little girl."

>Darwin and Madra?> David/Alloran asked. Spacey nodded his head. >They're your children, too, Hildy.>

The homeless man looked up, confused. David continued, >Hildy Gervais, that's your real name, don't you remember?>

His face looked even more far off than normal. "I remember everything. Essam, Edriss, Allison, Darwin, and Madra."

>Where are they? The children.>

"I don't know."

David growled in thought-speech. His arms and shoulders demorphed into strong human arms and shoulders.

But then they morphed into Hork-Bajir arms and shoulders! All while he kept his Andalite form.

>That's impossible!> Marco yelled.

>Not really,> Cassie negated, >I did something similar during our mission to the Hork-Bajir world. This looks a bit more thorough, though.>

With his strong, bladed arms, he picked up Spacey/Hildy and put his Andalite tail blade to Hildy's throat.

>Tell me where the children are!> David/Alloran demanded.

"I don't know!!!" Hildy sobbed.

David let him go and he dropped onto the floor, weeping.

>Useless. Still, while I have you . . . .> and with that, David picked up a Dracon Beam and shot Hildy. He fell unconscious.

>He's alive. I can hear breathing.> I reported.

>What's he going to do with him?> Marco wondered aloud.

David demorphed, still holding the Dracon Beam, and put his shirt and coat back on. "Time to end this." He said quietly to himself.

He pointed his Dracon Beam in our general direction and fired.

>Uuuuuh!> Cassie yelped as a squirrel went flying.

>Cassie!> Rachel yelled.

Tsssewww! Marco was hit. Tsssewww! Rachel too!

Tsssewww! Tsssewww! Tsssewww! I hopped quickly and avoided three of David's blasts.

"Wascally Wabbit!" David said as he shot something in front of me. The impact caused sparks and my rabbit instincts combined with my hawk instincts flared up, gave me the bum rush, and ordered my body to switch directions. That gave David enough time to aim and shoot with nasty accuracy.

>Aaaah! I said.> I couldn't move my body, but I was still alive. And breathing.

And conscious. David picked me up and looked into my half-closed rabbit eyes. "Huh-Huh-Huh-Huh-Huh." David laughed Elmer Fudd-esque. "Nice _twy_, Feathers."

He carried me over to the view screen in his Bug Fighter.

"Ayla," David commanded, "how are the rest of our guests?"

>They're fine.> said a voice I recognized as the computer's, but with much more human feeling. >They're just . . . . hanging around.>

The screen showed me five Hork-Bajir warriors wrapped up in and suspended in the air by vine-like, metal cords. Toby's warriors: Toma, Biran, Yenke, Garik, and the last one, a female named Enga Tala. They were being held in the bridge! The picture panned right to show the other side of the bridge. Here, only two prisoners were wrapped up in the machine vines. Toby Hamee and Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthil.

"Welcome aboard, Tobias van Gore." David said as the Bug Fighter docked with the Sea Blade. "Welcome to the _Proteus_."


	53. Dr Exposition

_**July 10, 2000 2:34 AM**_

**Marco**

My mother had a sword. I know that sounds ridiculous but my mother had a sword. She was fencing with Visser Three. Sword to tail-blade. I was in Gorilla morph watching all of this. I ran to my mother, wanting to save her from Visser Three.

>I'm coming, Mom. I'll save you!> I shouted.

>No. _I_'ll save you! I'll save everyone!> shouted a voice. David.

A giant snake lifted its humongous head from over the horizon. It was a snake with David's face. Kind of like that Betelgeuse-Snake from _Beetlejuice_. David-Snake had large sharp teeth.

He reared his head than struck my mother and the Visser.

>I'll save everyone!> David shouted as he engulfed my mother and Visser Three.

>NOOOOOOOOOO!> I shouted as I watched helplessly as David-Snake comically swallowed his meal.

David stuck out a large snake tongue and cartoonishly licked his lips. >Yummy.>

>You MANIAC!!!! Damn you!> I shouted as I punched the sand beneath me.

>It was for the good of my galaxy!> David-Snake demanded. >Interference will not be tolerated.>

A large snake tail came up over the horizon. It ended in a rattle, but the rattle ended with a barbed point, like the tip of a scorpion's tail. His tail whipped out and struck me in the side.

>AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!> I shouted.

"Relax, Marco. It's just a little shot." David said.

I opened my eyes and realized I was still in mouse morph, and I had been dreaming. I remembered where I was.

I was in David's Blade Ship. Tobias, Rachel, Cassie, and I sneaked aboard to spy on David. David somehow caught us. He shot me with a Dracon Beam and I went unconscious. The others too, I guess, and now I was being held by some kind of robot. I could see a conscious rabbit, Tobias, to my left, and an unconscious squirrel, Cassie, to my right. Rachel, in rat morph, was probably close by. We were each being held by some kind of metal vine. What was going on? Oh yeah, David just injected something into me.

David put the syringe into a hole in the wall of his Blade Ship. Trash, I guess.

>What did you just put in me?> I demanded of David.

>Not just you.> said Tobias. >All of us.>

"You'll see." David chuckled. "Ayla, send our guests to the bridge. I need to start our other experiments.> David said/thought-spoke as he made his transition from human to Hork-Bajir. He went back into his Bug Fighter and brought out Hildy Gervais in his arms.

Hildy Gervais. The biological father of the two human children that Edriss 562 considers her progeny. And its Edriss 562 who has control of my mother. It's "her kids" that David is looking for. I'm a tad worried about what David has planned. He went one way while the droid that carried us went another.

>No prison can hold us. We should just demorph.> I said as I attempted to do just that. Only nothing was happening. >I can't demorph!>

>Me neither> Rachel yelled. >Are we nothlits?>

>No. I've been awake the whole time. We've only been in morph about twenty, maybe thirty minutes tops.> Tobias reassured.

>Then why can't we demorph?>

>Maybe it has something to do with whatever David injected us with.>

>Ug. We can't wiggle out of these stupid vines either.> I complained.

>I guess this is what they call a better mousetrap.> Rachel joked.

>What? What's going on?> Cassie asked as she woke up.

As we explained what was happening to Cassie, the droid that carried us arrived at the bridge.

>Ax! Toby! What happened?> Tobias asked.

>I was working at the computer, getting no where.> Ax said, groggily. >Then, out of no where. The seven of us were shot with Shredder beams!>

>Some kind of automated defense system.> I deduced.

>No, you don't understand.> Ax insisted. >We weren't shot with Dracon beams. Shot with Shredder! Not Dracon. Shredder.>

Shredder beams. Meaning Andalite technology.

>He stole shredders off of Gonrod and his crew, remember?> I reminded.

>It means he has a way of copying and manufacturing technology.> Rachel deduced.

We all shared thought-speech grunts of disbelief until Rachel supplied us with, >What? I know stuff.>

>This could be very bad.> I grumbled.

Shortly after, David arrived at the bridge in his own body. He was carrying Megadeth. He touched something on the droid which released us, but we were quickly snatched up by the other machine vines that held Toby and Ax. He sat down in his chair and started to stroke Megadeth's fur. Very Dr. Evil-esque.

I guess David thought the same thing. "Well, Mishter Van Goore," David spoke in a Dr. Evil-like voice. "It sheems things did not go according to plan."

>Cute, David. Very cute.> Tobias said, not at all amused. >And for the record, we didn't have much of a plan. It was basically find out yours.>

"Silly rabbit." David chuckled as he let go an increasingly antsy Megadeth. "I don't have _a_ plan. I have, like, ten plans!"

>Your plan for Hildy Gervais?> Cassie asked.

"He was of less help than I would have liked him to be, but at least now I have a sample of his DNA. And I got to test out a few new gadgets."

>And that thing you injected each of us with?> Tobias asked.

>Myself too?> Ax added.

"Another new gadget I'm field-testing, one of my own design." David explained. "Ever since I gained an Andalite morph of remarkable intelligence, I've been kinda kicking this Mad-Scientist-Vibe, you know what I mean?"

>Estrid.> Ax grumbled.

"Morphing someone of higher intelligence and gaining said intelligence is a real mind-fuck, let me tell you, but it does have its advantages."

>What did you stick in us!!> Tobias demanded. I think he wanted to screech, but remembered he was still a rabbit. I also noticed he started flapping his little forepaws as if they were wings.

"Water." David said. "Mostly. Water with a little biomechanicalparasiteinsidedesignedtocontrolmorphing."

>What was that?> I asked

"Ug. Waaaaattttteeeerrrr," David repeated slowly and annoyingly, "with a little biomechanical parasite inside designed to control morphing. I hate it when people need things spelled out for them."

>What?>

"Uhhhh," David groaned in exasperation, "look, you can't demorph. None of your woodland friends can demorph, and the illegal alien can't morph at all. That device I injected into you for all intents and purposes freezes your morph clocks. Actually, that's not really accurate since, for those of you in morph, once the device is deactivated, your morph clock will start back at 0. You'll have a full two hours to demorph."

>So, until you deactivate that little bug you put in us, we're stuck like this.> Rachel asked.

"Yep." David confirmed, smiling that annoying shit-eating grin of his, entirely satisfied with himself. "Ayla, how did our first project go?"

"100 success." Ayla announced. "The memory probe was able to make a copy of Hildy's memories. Everything after Essam's first infestation is a little jumbled, and everything after Essam's death is almost incomprehensible."

"Just answer me this question: Was Allison Kim the only woman Hildy had intercourse with in the target time span."

"Yes. Thus, any children between the ages of nine and twelve that are fathered by Hildy Gervais would also be birthed by Allison Kim."

"And by extension, Essam and Edriss."

>You told us the son is already a controller. Who are you looking for, David?> Ax asked.

>You asked Hildy about two children, Darwin and Madra.> Cassie recapped.

>Madra?> Ax asked. >That's the name of the moon that orbits the Yeerk home world.>

"And its her that I'm looking for." David revealed.

>Why?> I demanded.

"That's for me to know, and you not to." David replied tersely. "Ayla, the second experiment."

"Also a success. The device works perfectly. One hundred and forty-three vacancies left."

>What about Stephanie?> Tobias asked. >You got any plans for her?>

David chuckled. "Oh yes. I've got lots of plans for her. Her unit. Her visitors. And now that you've made yourself available, I've got plans for the lot of you."

"Grrrrrrr. I hurt you!" Garik shouted.

"Garik?" David said, as if he just now recognized the young Hork-Bajir. "Garik, is that you? My, my, my, you've gotten big. A little too big for a Hork-Bajir your age. You're going to be a monster when you're all growed up." David walked over to Toby and ran his finger down her beak-like snout. "Nice choice, Toby."

"NO TOUCH TOBY!!!! I KILL YOU!" Garik screamed, fighting the machine vines that held him in place.

"Garik, shut up!" Toby commanded. Garik looked hurt at the reprimand, than growled.

David chuckled again. I was beginning to hate that sound. "He's just as bad as Jake." David said as he scratched Cassie's squirrel head. "Rest up, soldiers. We got a big day tomorrow. A big day."


	54. Chess Player

**_July 10, 2000 1:15 PM_**

**Tobias**

>Ug. How long was I out?> Marco said groggily as he woke up.

>Almost twelve of your hours.> Ax answered.

>I feel like I've been asleep for a year and a half.>

>Ax, do you know where we've been headed?> Rachel asked.

>We're not moving. We've been parked at this location for all of the morning. We are located in a body of water about two hundred miles from California, New Jersey.> Ax explained. >I have reason to believe we are not in an ocean, per se. Most likely a large bay of some sort.>

>Three hundred miles?> Cassie repeated. >The Chesapeake Bay.>

>We're in Virginia?> Marco wondered aloud.

"Maryland." Toby corrected.

>We're in Maryland?> Marco wondered.

Well, my first time as leader and I've done a piss-poor job of it. Not only have I gotten myself, Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Ax, Toby, and five of her fellow Hork-Bajir captured, but all of us Animorphs have been injected with something that freezes our morphing. Ax, in his own body, couldn't morph. The rest of us were in various rodent morphs that we couldn't demorph from.

David had put Toby and us Animorphs in one room and Toby's soldiers in another. Toby was jittery.

>What's the matter, Toby?> Cassie asked.

"What?" Toby blurted, being pulled from her funk. "Oh, I'm worried about my people."

>Your uncle Toma should keep them calm.> I said.

>Or are you worried about Garik?> Cassie pressed.

Garik was a young Hork-Bajir who was the size of an adult Hork-Bajir. He is going to be _huge_ when he grows up. Garik got very angry when David put a finger on Toby.

That's when it hit me.

>He's your boyfriend!> I blurted.

Toby fidgeted. "Don't tell my father."

>A secret boyfriend will only get you into trouble.> Rachel grumbled, a thinly disguised allusion to David's relationship with her friend, Melissa.

The door to our cell opened. David walked in.

"A secret love will not necessarily get _you _into trouble, Toby Hamee, but it will cause problems for someone." David said as he walked in.

Ax stood up. He seemed unsure about whether or not to put his tail blade to David's throat. He looked to me and I said nothing. So instead, he just asked.

>Why have you imprisoned us, David? Why have you trapped our friends in morph, however temporary?>

"Friends, Aximili? Do friends break into each other's homes?"

>We didn't know it was your home, David.> I lied.

"Don't feed me a line a shit and call it mouse-guts, Feathers."

>Friends may break into a friend's home if said friend was about to engage in self-destructive behavior.> Cassie said.

"So this is like an intervention?" David mused. "Now, what destructive behavior could you be referring to? Let me think. . . . . . OH! You must be referring to visiting an ex-girlfriend who wants to kill me!"

>Usually,> Rachel said, >but let's be wacky and tack on kidnapping innocent people.>

"Hildy Gervais and the husk of Essam 293 are hardly who I'd refer to as 'innocent', Rachel." David said as he took what Ax later told me was a Holographic Cylinder, or in Andalite vernacular, a holo. He pressed a button and some overhead shots of a little dark-haired girl swinging on a swing by a beach-front church. She was about nine or ten years old. "Now, Madra Kelly on the other hand. . . ."

>Madra _Kelly_? You found out where she went?> Cassie asked.

"And who adopted her. Her DNA is a match for Hildy Gervais, but she's the daughter of John and Donna Kelly now."

"What are you going to do with her?" Toby asked.

"Just some insurance." David said mysteriously. "Just to make sure Edriss behaves herself."

>David, this is a bad road to go down.> Cassie warned.

"Ha!" David responded. "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

>Are you actually going to kidnap this girl?> Rachel accused.

"No, see, that ain't it at all. Watch. David said as he motioned toward the holo.

In the holo, a man in jeans and a t-shirt approached Madra. David. David then grabbed her arm and the poor girl started to freak out. Then Madra fainted.

>You acquired her.> I realized.

"Yep." David said.

David then morphed into a woman in her mid-thirties. When he morphed, his jeans and T-shirt were replaced with a conservative dress.

>You can morph fully clothed?> Marco asked surprised.

"The dress was a pain in the ass, cause I had to press it against myself for it to morph with me."

David, in the morph of the woman, woke Madra up and said something to her, and then walked away with her.

"Mrs. Squires is Madra's CCD teacher. She's someone she trusts. Madra will think twice before talking with strangers again. That'll be unfortunate for any idiot Controller who tries to nab her." David explains.

>David, this is terrorism!> Ax said.

David turned around to face Ax. "What's your point?"

>This is not how we want to win this war!> I said.

"Maybe it's not how _you_ want to win this war." David countered. "Me? If I have to choose between being respected and being feared, I choose being feared. A bullet can stop an enemy from attacking. Fear can stop an enemy from attacking again. And fear is what will grip my enemies: Stephanie and Visser Three!"

>David,> I said, >you aren't going to try to kill the visser, are you?>

"No," he said as he picked me up, "you are!"

>Tobias!> Rachel yelled as David carried me out of our cell.

>David, stop this. You're acting like some super-villain.> I reasoned.

"I was going to do this myself, but since you _had_ to invite yourself to the party . . . ."

David stopped at an opening door and stepped in. Inside there was a cage.

With a leopard in it.

>Whaaa!> I thought-yelped in surprise. >What's that leopard for?>

David looked into my rabbit eyes. "You."

David unlocked the cage and threw me into it. I immediately started to freak out. >David! What is this? I'm your friend!>

"I know that." David said as he fiddled with a device the size of a graphing calculator.

I felt my body start to change. I realized I was demorphing.

>Are you doing that?>

David only smiled devilishly.

As I became fully hawk I noticed the leopard was breathing heavily and sluggishly. It was sedated.

"Acquire it."

>What?>

"Acquire it. Let's its power join yours. It's a fearsome creature, don't you think? What it may lack in brute strength it makes up for in cunning. It's even more devious than a lion or a tiger."

>Why am I acquiring this creature?>

"Why not?"

>I don't like the idea of being a pawn, David!>

"Not a pawn. Knight, maybe." David muttered. "I've come to realize something, Feathers. One is either a chess player or a chess piece. I've been so worried and whiny about what to do about my ex-girlfriend and my current one. I realized 'why am I whining as if I were some powerless peon?' I have the most powerful spaceship in existence. I have the morphing power and I know how to use it. If I have a problem, I can take care of it. And take care of it I will."

>You don't have to take care of it alone! That's what I'm trying to tell you!>

"And what _I'm_ trying to tell _you_ is that I _know_ I don't _have_ to, but my point is I **_CAN!_**" David yelled. "And I was going to till you had to drop in. So if you guys are going to insist upon 'helping', then help! Acquire the cat!"

>I'm not your chess piece, David.>

"I know. Acquire the cat." David commanded.

I hawk-walked to the drowsy cat and placed one talon on its twitching tail. As I acquired the leopard, I wondered what David had planned. I didn't have a clue.

But I knew one thing was for certain.

David pressed something on his control device, and I morphed back into a rabbit. As he carried me back to the cell, he shouted, "Ayla! Fire up the engines. We're going to Peach Haven."

One thing was definitely for certain. I didn't know if it was going to be humans, yeerks, hork-bajir, or some other alien species I hadn't thought of, but one thing was definitely for certain.

People were going to die.

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Ok, so . . . . . . . I'm not dead. Just in case you were wondering. I started film school, and let's just say I'm on break.

Point of interest, madamflames1991, I'm a dude.


	55. Nightmares and Traps

Because FFN for what ever reason has added asterisks as part of their unacceptable symbols list, translated speech will now be preceded and succeeded with dollar signs "$". Hopefully, this won't make any of my non-English speakers seem greedy.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime**

I swung my arm down and struck the hairy, black, humanoid creature on its shoulder, knocking it down. The small grey four-legged creature clamped its mighty jaws on one of my legs. I used my prehensile tail and flicked the creature away.

I was in the morph of a creature that had no formal name. I acquired it on a small moon, where life only existed on its north pole. It was a fairly warm climate which was odd. My morph was somewhat andalite-shaped: a lower body with four legs and a tail with a torso and head on top. My morph had white skin that was rubbery to the touch in some places and leathery in others. My four legs were more like the legs of an andalite dralei lizard or a hork-bajir chadoo. My prehensile tail was long, like a snake. My torso had two strong arms and two arm-length tentacles sprouting from the shoulder. I also had two wing-like appendages from my back that offered no flight. My head was not particular fearsome looking, but it contained a beak-like mouth that was quite sharp.

I was engaged in battle with the Andalite bandits at the human Community Center. The Andalite youth who almost never morphs struck my back with his tail blade, but my blubbery wings deflected the hit. The black creature and the brown four-legged creature that sometimes attacks on its hindlegs both charged me in unison. My arms and tentacles were able push them back.

>Foolish Andalite Bandits! Surrender now!> I threatened.

A small, dark brown blur raked my chest and caused me take a step backward. The blur then perched itself on top of the other brown creature.

Of course, the ever-present bird with the rust-red tail feathers. I made it a point to learn this creature's name: Red-tailed hawk.

>Do not speak at us, Yeerk. Wasting words is for humans, not warriors such as us.> said the hawk. >Destroy him!>

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrllll! A roar was heard. I knew the roar well. The deadliest of the Andalite bandits: the orange creature with the black stripes.

The orange creature leapt at me and I attempted to bat it aside, but it got its horrible claws into my tough skin. Worse than the claws, the orange creature attempted to bite me.

I pushed the creature off, but I was bleeding. The six bandits then started to rush me.

>Hork-Bajir!> I summoned. Instantly a small group of my warriors arrived and engaged the bandits as I made my escape. I demorphed and made my way through the hallways of the human building trying to reach the Bug Fighter that would take me back to my Blade Ship.

>Where are you running to, Visser?> said the voice.

I turned my stalk eyes to see David Hunting, the morph-human, walking toward me from a shadowed hallway. He was dressed in all black human clothing except for a long, flowy white coat like human doctors wear.

>You have fought six andalite warriors to a stand-off.> David said. His mouth moved as he talked as human mouths are wont to do. >Surely there is no reason to fear me.>

David stopped walking as he stepped out of the shadowed hallway. >Then again . . . .>

David rushed at me with the speed of a Garatron. I felt a strong hand close around my neck. Before I knew it, I was locked in struggle with a Gervasid. David in morph. I stabbed my tail blade into David several times, but I could not pierce the strong hide of his gervasid morph.

>It is time to accept the truth, Esplin. I am your new master now.> David said.

>Never.>

>The only alternative is to—>

David was interrupted by two shredder beams hitting him in the back. David looked around as if he had been hit with a raindrop.

>Human! Stop!> said the Andalite youth.

>Surrender your prisoner and yourself to us, renegade!> said the hawk.

David sighed. >This won't do.>

David released me and attacked the Andalites. I ran out of the building and looked for my cloaked Bug Fighter, but it was no where to be found.

>WHERE'S MY SHIP!> I shouted.

My Blade Ship instantly materialized, but so did David, still in gervasid morph.

>My ship now, slave!> David shouted as his immeasurably long tail whipped out and wrapped around me, imprisoning me. David walked aboard my Blade Ship and made his way to the bridge. My Temrash was there. As was Iniss, my most trusted lieutenant. My temrash was in his human host named Thomas Berenson. Iniss was in his human host, Hedrick Chapman.

>There we go,> David said as he dropped me on the floor and demorphed, >now we're all together again. I don't think Esplin will be giving us anymore trouble.>

Iniss and my temrash looked at each worriedly and back at David with cowering fealty.

They used to give _me_ that look.

David looked around with a vacant expression. >Hey Chapman! I'm bored. Make me a weapon I can blow stuff up with.>

>Don't listen to him! He's not your master; I AM!> I shouted. I morphed to Anterean Bogg, the form I used to kill great Elfangor.

I finished my morph and looked down at David who now looked quite small and insignificant.

>Now, it is your time to die, human!> I shouted.

>Are you stupid?> David said, almost lackadaisical. >You can't kill me.>

>You will never defeat me.> I maintained. >NEVER!>

I lunged my arm at David, but David sped-morphed into a reptilian bird with razor sharp wings. He flew up toward me and his wings cut me in half. I fell to the floor in two pieces.

>You know who the boss around here is now, right?> David warned Iniss as he landed and demorphed. >Now hurry up with the weapon.>

My temrash approached me. "$Visser? Visser? We're here.$" He said in Taxxon speech.

>What?>

I woke up. David had not taken over. It was just a dream. Of course it was a dream; David was speaking in thought-speech in his own body. Plus there's no way he could have acquired that bird form he sliced me in half with. That species went extinct before he was born.

"$I apologize for waking you, my Visser,$" said the Taxxon outside the entrance to my quarters, "$but we have arrived at the chosen destination.$"

We were on our way to inspect Sub-visser five-hundred-nine's task force. They were a trap put in place to catch David.

But David now knows that his former mating partner is a controller, so naturally, the trap was near useless. Human behavior is even more unpredictable than Skrit Na, but any other sensible species would never come back here again.

Visser Two was my inspector. I'd never met him before, though we both fought at the Hork-Bajir Seizure Campaign. He was one of the first yeerks to be given the Visser rank. He was what the Andalites would have referred to as "an old hoof and tail". He was one of those _old_ yeerks who talked about the _old_ pools on the _old_ world. He fought alongside great Akdor against the Andalite who is now my host.

Alloran. He was still dreaming. It is not uncommon for yeerks who have had the same host for a very long time to be able to control the host body while its consciousness was asleep or even catatonic.

Alloran was having a particularly disturbing nightmare. Much like my own. He dreamed he was in the Gale of Liberty, a field used for official ceremonies on the Andalite Home World. He dreamed he was in chains with me still in his body. Humans with large Shredder rifles had rounded up yeerks in various host bodies. Andalites were there as well, including Alloran's wife and two adult children. David was standing at officiate. He was about to perform the Hortashorm Talig, an Andalite ceremony of disgrace. Usually at a Hortashorm Talig, an Andalite official would cut off the tail of the disgraced Andalite with his own tail blade, but in the dream, David wielded an axe, a human weapon historically used for executions. David raised the axe and prepared to swing down.

I didn't want Alloran to finish this dream. >Wake up, Alloran.>

>Esplin? Why did you wake me?> Alloran asked with confusion in his voice. Normally I preferred it when he dreamed. He was quiet and his nightmares usually entertained me.

That was before we both started dreaming of _him_.

I did not bother answering Alloran. Except in certain cases, talking to one's host is like talking to the grass.

"$I suppose we could always wait for the young Visser to finish his beauty sleep.$" the Galard of Visser Two's gruff Hork-Bajir voice rumbled the halls of my Blade Ship. I took offense to being called young. I was nearly sixty in Andalite years, forty in human years. Given the life expectancies of yeerks today, that makes me practically geriatric. Given proper Kandrona nutrition and avoidance of certain diseases, yeerks can live up to four hundred human years, but this war makes it hard to live that long.

>'Beauty sleep' is a concept lost on you, Old One.> I retorted.

"$Young punk$" Visser Two whispered.

"$Enough, you two. I'm ready for the Visser to explain to me the purpose of this task force.$" said the Councilor.

In addition to the inspector who was also a Council of Thirteen candidate, I also got an actual Councilor. I was told I would be getting Councilor Eight, a former Visser I served under. Instead, I got Councilor Four. This Councilor was present when David Hunting sabotaged a group of technically advanced androids the Dayangs had sold me. I would have killed the dayangs responsible, but Councilor Four forbade me. I hated him.

Councilor Four had the body of a S-s-stram. S-s-stram had serpentine bodies. No legs, but they had five arms that encircled their body in a pentagram formation. One arm stuck straight out of his back; two arms were closer to the middle of his chest. The arms themselves were unremarkable, Taxxon-ish even. The head ended in curved horns useful for headbutting, a rather undignified why of fighting, if you ask me.

All five of Councilor Four's claws opened and closed quickly in unison, a S-s-stram gesture of excitement. His five arms don't have to move in unison, but they usually do. Something pertaining to S-s-stram etiquette. We yeerks sometimes feel the superficial, subconscious habits of our hosts are annoying and unimportant, but we let them go because they are just that: superficial and unimportant.

The three of us plus two of Councilor Four's Blue Bands plus two Hork-Bajir bodyguards of Visser Two's was present. Visser Two's bodyguards each wore a bandolier with a Dracon beam on it. Councilor Four's Blue Bands wore bandoliers with Dracon Beams as well, along with their signature Blue Bands. One of the Blue Bands also had a small device attached to his bandolier. Probably the Councilor's personal organizer.

As we left my Blade Ship, we passed through a new sensor that I recently had installed. It is designed to sound an alarm when a non-controller walks through it. Hopefully, it'll help protect me from the Andalite Bandits. And David. The seven of us walked through it and it confirmed that all seven of us had yeerks in our hosts' heads.

We traveled in Councilor Four's personal Carrier Ship to the planet surface. A Carrier Ship is a rather impractical and indulgent vehicle. It is larger than a Bug Fighter, but smaller than a Blade Ship. It is just large enough for a Councilor to hold political rallies with other councilors, complete with seven Gedd workers and six Blue Bands. We parked our cloaked ship in front of the large human dwelling belonging to the Gimble family. They were all controllers of course.

It was evening time on Earth, and the streets were quiet, so we had no danger of being spotted. As we entered the house, seven humans stood at attention.

"$Seven human-controllers?$" Visser Two said incredulously. "$This is your crack task force to deal with David Hunting?$"

>They are also ready to start a branch of the Sharing.> I grumbled, not really believing that part of the plan. The Sharing was the idea of the traitor Edriss, not mine.

"$And with no weapons?$" Visser Two pointed out. "$How are they supposed to defend themselves, let alone capture, a morph-capable warrior without Dracon Beam weapons?$"

>They have access to human weapons.>

"$I know enough about the humans to know that they don't give weapons to anyone.$" Visser Two hotly retorted.

"Sir, this is the South. They give you a gun out of the womb." Said one of the human controllers.

Visser Two gave him what the Andalites would call the "Stalk-blade", basically a look from a stalk eye that figuratively cuts like a tail blade. Visser Two didn't have stalk eyes, but the idiom fit.

"$My Visser, while my subordinate is being flippant, his point is that we do have easy access to human weaponry, such as it is.$" Said Sub-visser five-hundred-nine, the commander of the task force. She responded in formal Galard; that was wise. She was in the body of a human female named Stephanie Gimble, the former mating partner of David Hunting. I have been told that it is unusual, but increasingly frequent, for humans as young as David Hunting to begin mating, but what behavior can be considered usual for humans?

>I revoked her weapons issue, because she misused it the last time David was here.>

"$David's been here before?$" Councilor Four asked.

Ah, dapsen. >Yes. She failed to capture him last time. I admitted.>

"$So what in the name of the Kandrona do you think would possess him to return to a known trap!$" Visser Two asked incredulously.

>He is a human, one of questionable sanity. He is sometimes unpredictable.>

"$But he's not a moron!$" Visser Two vented, being unnecessarily scathing. "$What idiot would return to known trap?$"

>A human would!>

"$I don't think so, Esplin!$"

Two animals jumped through the glass windows of the human dwelling. They were incredibly fast as they pushed their way through the human-controllers. I almost didn't see them until it was too late.

Luckily, the Councilor's Blue Bands were quicker. They each drew their Dracon Beams and fired a paralyzing shot at the two animals; both animals seemed to be unconscious.

"$What manner of creatures are these?$" Visser Two demanded.

"Um, this is a cheetah, and I think this one is a leopard." Said a human-controller.

"$They are Andalites!$" said Councilor Four with glee. All five of his arms rocked back and forth, a gesture of satisfaction.

"One of them could be David." Said Sub-visser five-hundred-nine.

"$We shall know soon enough.$" Said Councilor Four confidently. "$Blue Bands! Take them to the investigating room, I shall see to it personally that they demorph.$"

>Councilor, with all due respect, I have more experience—> I started.

"$I'll have you remember _my_ record as Visser One during the Pentasera Seizure Campaign!$"

I _had _forgotten his record. The one where he tortured many Andalite prisoners. Even morph-capable ones.

Both Blue Bands each grabbed one of the creatures, and followed the Councilor out.

>Well, it seems, I was right about human stupidity.> I said as the councilor left.

"$We don't know if one of them is David. Besides, they might not even be Andalites.$" Visser Two sneered.

So, he had heard about my attempt to trick the Council with real animals during Visser One's trial. Not my proudest moment, but oh, if it had worked!

Still, the old one had a point. This did seem a little too easy, and only two bandits . . . . . .

The Blue Band without the device on his bandolier returned to the house. "The Councilor would like all of you to board the Carrier Ship." He said.

The human-controllers looked around as if they weren't sure that this included them, but they decided it did and followed the Blue Band in suit.

"$Why do you speak English?$" Visser Two asked the Blue Band.

The Blue Band _did_ speak the human language English. I didn't even notice that.

The Blue Band looked at Visser Two for a long time as if he didn't understand the question. "$Force of Habit$" He finally said. In Galard.

"$Before Blue Bands, worked for Visser Six.$" The Blue band continued in broken Galard. Visser Six was a human-controller. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "$He preference English. I do not speak Galard good.$"

While it is true not every yeerk is an expert linguist, I expected better from a Blue Band. Still, the Blue Band Corps had a high casualty rate, so perhaps the standards have dropped.

When I'm Visser One or when I'm on the Council, I hope to have Blue Band Hork-Bajir that can at least speak one proper language!

As we entered the Carrier Ship, alarms started going off.

"$What's going on?$" Visser Two demanded.

The Councilor slithered quickly, as if frightened, toward us.

"$We've been tricked! More Andalite Bandits! Hiding in the others' fur in small morphs.$" The Councilor barely sputtered. "$Quickly! We must engage them!$" The Councilor said as he gestured wildly with his two front claws.

And _just_ his two front claws.

I whipped my tail around and nearly struck the "Councilor", but S-s-stram are swift and he evaded my strike. I whipped twice more and twice more missing before the fake Councilor slithered away. I was about to pursue when Visser Two grabbed my shoulder.

"$What do you think you are doing, Visser Three?$" He accused manically.

>That's not the real Councilor!> I maintained.

"How can you tell?" asked one of the male human-controllers. I'd forgotten they were there.

>When he spoke, he only gestured with two of his claws. The Councilor always gestures with all five in unison.> I explained.

"$So that Councilor . . . .$" began one of Visser Two's bodyguards.

"$ . . . . wasn't the real Councilor.$" finished the other bodyguard.

"But an Andalite in morph." Said one of the female human-controllers.

"Or David." Reminded Sub-visser five-hundred-nine. At least she was doing her job, keeping watch for David.

"But if Hruthin morph my Councilor, how tell who real and who not?" asked the Blue Band, this time in a meshing of English and the limited Hork-Bajir language.

"$We don't have time for that. We paralyze everyone and ask questions later!$" Visser Two yelled in uncharacteristic recklessness.

He had never dealt with true morphing masters like the Andalite Bandits, so I understood his frustration. It served him right, if you ask me.

We made our way toward the Councilor's Interrogation Room. As we got closer, the other Blue Band with the device on his bandolier and the two earth creatures came out of the room together.

>ANDALITES!> I bellowed. >FIRE!>

The Blue Band and Visser Two's bodyguards opened fire on the Andalites in morph. No hits.

"$You were a better shot the first time!$" grumbled a bloody Councilor as he stumbled-slithered out of the room. Then again . . . .

>Councilor Four? Is that you?> I asked.

"$Of course, it's me, you shitting idiot!$" The Councilor growled as he moved all five of his claws maniacally up and down. It wasn't a normal S-s-stram gesture, but like Visser Two, he was probably frustrated having never dealt with morphing masters like I have.

Fools. All of them.

>Why are you so smug?> Alloran said, speaking up for the first time in a long while.

I ignored him. One thing I learned with Alloran is that taunting him only fuels his drive to harass. If you give him the silent treatment, he shuts down in frustration.

Still, it's not in my nature to keep quiet.

"$To the bridge! They're not escaping my ship!$" the Councilor grumbled.

We got to the bridge and the Councilor himself took the flight controls and started piloting the ship. That's odd, why isn't one of his Blue Band piloting? Of course, the only one we seem to have isn't exactly the sharpest shorm in valley.

"$We're docking directly into the Blade Ship this time.$" commanded the Councilor. "$There will be no escaping this time! I will make them suffer for doing this to me.$"

He didn't gesture, but I assumed he meant the claw marks on his face. Many times, I've received similar marks from the Andalites in battle. Of courses, I have the option of morphing which will restore my form without scars.

_Docking directly into the Blade Ship? That meant going through the Belly hatch._

We made our way into the Belly hatch of my Blade Ship and landed.

We left the ship and I noticed there was no crew around to operate the hatch. Then how did it open?

By the time everyone had left the Carrier ship I realized.

>THIS ISN'T MY—> I started, but was shot by a shredder beam. Not Dracon.

I was paralyzed and couldn't see around me, but it sounded like everyone was getting shot. I then felt robotic tendrils grab me all around and lift me up. I was able to look up and see that the tendrils came from a hovering droid.

Not Yeerk technology. Nor Andalite technology.

Alloran echoed my thoughts. >What manner of monstrosity is this?>

I saw the Councilor and his remaining Blue Band in front of me. "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!" he laughed as he changed shape.

Demorphed. Into David Hunting. "$Thank you for reminding me about S-s-stram gestures, Visser. I made sure to get it right this time.$"

>You speak Galard.> I noticed.

"$A little.$" David said coyly. I noticed he was wearing a full assortment of human clothing, meaning he morphed with them. That's not supposed to be possible.

"David . . . ." Sub-visser five-hundred-nine muttered in disbelief.

"Ah, Stephanie. My most powerful enemy is here, yet the face I fear most is yours." David said, switching to English. "Mostly because I do not know who I'm looking at."

The Blue Band put a comforting hand on David's shoulder, but he briskly knocked it away.

As David spoke to the sub-visser I started to morph, hoping he would not notice, but I could not grow larger for the tendrils squeezed me tighter.

"Ah ah ah!" David said wagging a finger at me. "I already thought of that. Ayla."

He prompted someone I didn't see. _The Blue Band maybe?_, but it was not the Blue band that came to him, but another droid. From the droid, David took out a human syringe.

"I gave my Andalite friends my special vitamins, now you can have it too!" He said as he stabbed the syringe into my neck and injected who knows what into me.

>NO! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME, ABOMINDABLE HUMAN FILTH!> I protested, but it did me no good. I began to morph the xitem fly, a small insect morph I acquired a few months ago.

The Blue Band with the device on his bandolier exited the Carrier ship looking like he had seen battle. He carried the unconscious body of the Councilor with him. He also dragged behind him seven chained up Gedd-controllers, like a human slave train. The two andalites in earth morphs followed closely, also looking like they had been cut upon. I wondered what became of Councilor Four's real Blue Band Squad.

"Biran!" David gestured with his hand.

The Blue Band with the device on his bandolier threw the device to David. David immediately pressed a few buttons and then put the device on his belt.

Four more hover droids entered the bay. One tied up the Councilor. Three more entered the Carrier Ship. For the Blue Bands, I figured.

For some reason my morph stopped.

"$So the Andalites work for the human, now?$" Visser Two questioned.

"Who, Biran? Biran is 100 percent free hork-bajir, as is his brother Yenke," David said gesturing to the two Hork-Bajir playing Blue Bands, "but inside Yenke's head is a yeerk! Or in actuality . . ."

"An andalite in yeerk morph." Realized one of the human controllers.

"Jason!" David said, having recognized the human-controller. He displayed one of the inner fingers on his hand. An obscene human gesture. "Right here, buddy!"

"The yeerk is an andalite. The cats are definitely andalites. Why are they working for you?" asked a different human-controller.

"Oh, you see, they kinda have to." David said as he pressed a button on his device.

The animal the human-controllers identified as a "cheetah" began to demorph. The demorph was awkward, as if the andalite wasn't controlling the process. Where the cheetah once stood, an Andalite was there now.

The Andalite youth that never morphs. The one who has engaged me in several tail blade fights. An excellent fighter, despite his age and apparently the theories that he did not have the morphing power were inaccurate.

The Andalite said nothing as David seemingly forced him to demorph, but I could tell he was a little bit unnerved.

"Now let's see . . ." David said as he looked at his device, seemingly looking at a list. "Ah, here we go."

David pressed a button and the Andalite youth started morphing again. This time it was a creature I knew: the djabala. An andalite animal, it is the animal used for morph proficiency tests on the Andalite home world. It was Alloran's first morph, probably this youth's as well.

>You control their morphing.> I realized.

"Yep. All thanks to my special biomechanical parasite-vitamins. I can control their morphing and now I can control yours!"

>And I thought Seerow blundered badly. I thought you yeerks would be the great scourge of the universe.> Alloran commented, fearfully. >Whatever fool gave this monster the morphing power is a bigger idiot!>

>NO!> I shouted. >You monster! You _beast_!>

That wiped the grin off of David's face. He walked over to me and looked angrily into my main eyes.

FWAP! He punched me across my nose, wrenching my head to the right side of my body. My nose began to bleed.

"Don't ever call me that!" David threatened.

>Beast.> I repeated defiantly.

>He's going to hit me again!> Alloran yelled. I ignored.

David's face contorted into a seethe, then dissolved into a chuckle. "Doesn't matter, you're not gonna live beyond today."

The andalite still in the earth morph growled. I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or David.

David seemed to think it was directed at him. "Ayla." He prompted. Two more hovering droids showed up and wrapped the two hork-bajir, the earth morph, and the djabala in its robotic tendrils.

David sauntered over to one of the Hork-Bajir. "Out!" He said putting his had next to the Hork-Bajir's ear. I watched as a yeerk came out. No, an andalite in yeerk morph. He placed the "yeerk" in a small container with water in it, and put it in one of the pockets of his coat.

The newly "freed" hork-bajir, (if you can call it that being bound by robotic tendrils) glared at David.

"You make her sad!" said the Hork-Bajir.

_Her?_ I wondered. _One of the andalites is female?_

David relieved all of his prisoners of their Dracon Beams.

"Big day, Esplin. It's a good day to die." David said as he left, the two droids imprisoning the andalites and hork-bajir following him.

Many beings have vowed to kill me. The idea that this human youth thought that he would finally kill me was enough to make me laugh.

>You're not laughing, are you, Esplin?> Alloran retorted.

>Beast.>


	56. Fear and Pain

Something I forgot to mention: The Visser Two that appears in the last chapter, this chapter, and the next few following chapters, is not the same Visser Two who appears in book #46.

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_**July 10, 2000 8:08 PM**_

**Cassie**

I was in Yeerk morph. Outside of a host body, I felt weak and powerless. I couldn't even demorph, David had found a way to control that. I had a new sympathy for our enemy. As David carried me away I thought back on how we ended up here.

We let ourselves be David's pawns. What choice did we have; he controlled our morphing. We were all sucked into his plan, his dangerous plan for revenge. It was rather ingenious actually.

David had gathered the eleven of us on the bridge. Six hork-bajir, five animorphs. We were once again trapped in the robotic tendrils, but this time, David had demorphed us into our own bodies. He gave each us animorphs another injection, which led us to believe that the biomechanical parasites that he called Protimus-Bots had a short lifespan. He called his control device, the Protimus-Bot Controller, or PBC. The PBC laid on a table with two bandoliers and two Dracon Beam weapons.

David said two hork-bajir were going to be infested with Animorphs in yeerk morphs. I knew that he meant me and himself since we were the only ones with yeerk morphs. Naturally, being David, he asked for volunteers. Nobody volunteered. Then when he motioned toward Toby, all five of the others volunteered.

David chose Biran and Yenke Kelk, two brothers. I said I refused to help, but David forcibly turned me into a yeerk.

>You asshole!> Rachel yelled.

>Let us go!> Marco added.

I couldn't fight my instincts as David put me up close to Yenke's ear. As I took control of Yenke's brain, I felt a wave of revulsion and sadness within me.

>Why am I doing this?> I wondered.

>It's okay.> Yenke told me. He kind of startled me, actually. >David not bad. Right?>

I didn't know how to answer him.

With Hork-Bajir eyes I watched David morph into a yeerk. One of his droids lifted him up to Biran's ear, and he entered. Biran noticeable grimaced, but did not resist.

"David, stop this! My people are not your pawns!" Toby protested.

Biran's head moved around as if he had just been punched and saw stars. He opened his eyes. David opened Biran's eyes.

"I have the highest respect for Biran." David said in Biran's voice. "He has more faith in me than my fellow humans. He truly believes that whatever it is I'm doing it will be for the good of the Hork-Bajir and for the universe, as much as he understands the concept."

"That's because, that is what I and my father always told him. What we told all of them. Don't make liars out of us, David!" Toby pleaded.

>_He_'s the liar, the power-mad freak!> Rachel accused.

Biran's face contorted with confusion. As if David didn't understand what he was doing until that very moment.

>Ayla!> David commanded in his own thought-speech. >Release the four of us.>

Only I and David were released, though I guess he included Biran and Yenke in his number.

>Good. As long as he continues to think of you and your brother as people than I don't have to worry so much.> I said.

>Toby says 'Worrying is like trying to strip bark by looking at it.'> Yenke comments. Hork-Bajir say the darndest things. I could see from his memories that Toby did in fact say that, but it's not like I'm trying to read his memories.

David told me to put on the bandolier. He gave me a Dracon Beam. I considered using it, but decided against it. The entire ship was David's ally, possessed with some entity that David called 'Ayla'.

>Release Bird and Blue> David commanded. Tobias and Ax, each in their own forms, were dropped by the tendrils. David pressed something on the PBC and Tobias turned into a leopard while Ax turned into a cheetah. Tobias had a small issue with controlling the leopard instincts, but being a predator himself, he got control of his first time morph. Something David forgot to plan for. The four (or six) of us made our way into the Bug Fighter bay.

>Exactly what's going on, David?> Tobias asked.

"We're going to capture some controllers. Visser Three and a Councilor." David replied.

>From the Council of Thirteen?> Ax asked incredulously. >David, such a target is as you humans say 'too hot'. You can't do this.>

"Perhaps. It's a good thing I'm keeping good friends close to me." David replied.

_Is that why he chose me, Tobias and Ax? And left Rachel and Marco behind?_

We got into one of David's Bug Fighters. Instead of David piloting it, the Bug Fighter flew on its own. Was 'Ayla' flying it?

There was a 'holo' in the Bug Fighter. David picked it up.

>Before we start,> David said in his own thought-speech, >I just want to say, to everyone,> he added looking at me, (No, at Yenke) >I'm sorry for all this.>

>It's not too late to stop this.> I said.

But Tobias took a different route. >If you needed help, you should have asked. _Some_ of us would have helped gladly.>

>Not in _my_ way.> David replied.

>Sometimes working together as a group means compromise.> Tobias said.

>I'm not good at compromise.>

>70 percent of 'compromise' is 'promise'> Tobias said. >You've always kept your promises to us. Rachel and Jake may not agree, but I feel you've always kept your promise never to do anything that would hurt us. It would be a damn shame for you to break it now.>

David said nothing for a while. "This is the plan." He finally said with Biran's voice, activating a holo of Visser Three's Blade Ship. "I, Cassie, and the Kelk Bros. will infiltrate Visser Three's Blade Ship when it arrives above the Georgia coast in about ten mintues."

>Did he say my name? Should I be paying attention?> Yenke asked me. That caused me to smile inside.

The holo changed to a picture of a southern style house. "The Bug fighter will then land behind the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Gimble. Bird and Blue? That's your stop. You will place yourselves here and here." David said pointing to two windows.

"Cassie and I will masquerade ourselves as part of the Councilor's bodyguard." David continued. "We'll be wearing blue armbands. When I give you the command, you'll attack the Councilor. My intel says that Councilor Eight is in attendance. He's a Hork-Bajir controller. He'll be the one that Cassie and I will be guarding. When you attack, Cassie and I will shoot you with these modified Dracon Beams."

David drew his Dracon Beam and fired a shot, hitting Tobias.

>Aah!> Tobias yelped in reflex.

"See? It doesn't hurt."

>It itches.> Tobias commented, scratching himself where the beam hit him. >A lot.>

"Really?" David asked, surprised. David continued. "When we take you two in, we'll be able to continue from there. Any questions?"

"Is all this necessary?" I asked. "What is it you're going to do?"

David didn't answer me. He snapped his fingers. "Let's go!"

The Bug Fighter opened its hatch and I was instantly hit with air rushing into the Fighter. We must have been a thousand feet up. We were next to the Blade Ship!

>Ayla!> David commanded. >Ring the doorbell for us!>

A hatch on the Blade Ship opened up. David grabbed another small device from a box and he and I entered the Blade Ship. The door closed behind us.

>Will Tobias and Ax be all right?> I asked in private thought-speech to be safe.

>They'll be fine. Now, we're looking for a ship about three times as big as an Andalite Fighter.>

David forgot that I've only seen about two Andalite fighters in my lifetime. Still I guess we were looking for a ship almost the size of a house.

>Is this it?> I ask, pointing to a ship fitting that description.

>Good work.> He said. We walked to the hatch and entered this new ship.

>This is the Carrier ship of Councilor Eight.> David explained. >We're gonna make our way to the Blue Bands' rec room and give them a little surprise.> He said alluding to the small round device in his hand. I noticed he still had the PBC on his bandolier.

>What is it?> I asked.

>Shredder Pulse Wave> He said, as if I would know what that is.

He found the door he was looking for, opened it up, tossed the device in, and closed the door again. I saw light flashes from the cracks of the door. David opened the door back up and entered.

"It's safe." He said as he beckoned me to enter.

Inside I saw five unconscious Hork-Bajir. Two of them were large and massive. The other three were much more average. They each had blue bands on their right arms. David took two of the bands off. He put on one and gave the other to me.

I put it on without him telling me to.

>There's supposed to six.> David muttered.

>So we're disguising ourselves as Blue Bands, just to get close to the Councilor?> I asked. I don't know why. I felt heartbroken. Heartbroken that David would do something like this to me and the others. Isn't that strange?>Why not just acquire and morph one of them?>

>No, Visser Three installed a new filter on his ship. He'll know if someone isn't a controller. That's we infested Biran and Yenke.>

>Why not just infest one of these?>

>We can't do that without killing the original yeerk. This way no one dies.>

I was not surprised by that answer, but that in of itself surprised me. >What difference does it make if you're just gonna kill them later?>

>Only if they don't do things my way.>

>Your way or death?> I started. >Do you know what that sounds like?>

David looked fiercely at me. >Cassie, for there to be peace in the universe there cannot be a race of sentient parasites. There just can't! You know this!>

>Yes, but . . .> I pleaded, >what other choice do they have?>

>Plenty. And it'll be those choices I give them. I cannot force them to change, but I must at least give them the choice. I owe them that. For what I'm going to do to them, I owe them that. The change is coming, and I know it will work. If the yeerks wish to fight it, well then death is the only humane thing to give.>

'_Humane?'_

>What sort of change?> I asked as a light came on in the room we were in.

>Let's go. The Councilor is calling us.> He said. >Lock the door behind you, we don't want some Gedd-controller walking in on them.>

That's when our plan hit a few snags.

One, Councilor Eight was actually Council Four, a S-s-stram-controller. Luckily, David was able to tell Tobias and Ax in time.

Two, I nearly blew it by speaking English. David coached me on some Galard, and I was able to skim by. He also suggested I talk from now on using broken English and Hork-Bajir. I only remembered one word in Hork-Bajir, their word for 'outsider': Hruthin, but I used it.

Three, after David released Biran, demorphed, knocked the Councilor unconscious, acquired, and morphed the S-s-stram, Visser Three saw through his disguise, but plan B worked like a charm, even though poor Biran had to improvise being "an Andalite". He did a pretty good job.

David also gave Tobias, Ax, and Biran the unfortunate duty of disabling the real Hork-Bajir Blue Bands. Thankfully only a few had regained consciousness and the three of them were able to fully disable the elite, but groggy Hork-Bajir warriors. After all, Biran probably believed that these Hork-Bajir would soon be free and join the colony.

Knowing David, Biran was probably right.

But after Tobias objected to David killing Visser Three, he had us tied up again. I was more worried about what he was going to do to Stephanie, his ex-girlfriend, the girl that started this whole craziness, but that looked like a moot point as David now had two top ranking vissers and a councilor in his grasp.

I felt myself being placed on the ground. I then felt the familiar feeling of growing. I was demorphing. When I was fully human, the robotic tendrils grabbed me as well. I looked around. Toby and all of her people were around, also constrained. Tobias was still in leopard morph. Ax was still in the morph he called a djabala. Rachel, Marco, and myself were ourselves.

"Everybody," David announced theatrically, "we're expecting some distinguished visitors."

"Who?" Toby asked.

"Vissers Two _and_ Three"

"You captured them?" Rachel wondered aloud.

"Rachel? Is that genuine appreciation and awe in your voice? I'm touched."

"It'll pass." Rachel sneered.

"Well, we'll also be joined by Councilor _Four_," David started. He turned to face the main view screen on the bridge. "Not Councilor Eight!"

"Huh." Said the computerized, feminine voice. David hadn't formally introduced us, but we all assumed this was the mysterious Ayla. "That'll teach you to believe everything you electronically eavesdrop."

"You're the one who—OH, NEVERMIND!" said David in frustration. It was weird; it was like watching David deal with a disobedient child he didn't know how to handle. "It's time for everyone to get into their Sunday best."

David pressed something on this PBC and Marco started shifting into a gorilla. Then I started morphing into a wolf. Finally, Rachel started morphing into a grizzly bear. The tendrils that held us shifted to our changing forms.

>Why are we in our battle morphs?> Marco asked.

"This is how they know you." David explained.

>Why am in the form of the djabala?> Aximili asked.

"Point of reference." Was all David said.

>And me? A Leopard?> Tobias asked.

"Ah! That is the Main Event!"

>What 'main event'?> Rachel asked.

"Before the main event, I think I'll deal with the lowly Gedd-Controllers. I'll be back, and then the fun begins!"

David left the bridge and left us to ourselves, hanging from robotic tendrils.

"Biran, Yenke," Toby called, "are you all right?"

"Yenke fine. Cassie sad." Yenke replied.

"Biran fine, too." Biran replied.

"Looks like you've seen battle." Said Enga Tala, the only female besides Toby amongst the Hork-Bajir warriors.

"Animorphs and Biran fight Yeerks together! Six Hork-Bajir-yeerks. Big and strong like Garik and Ursa. David promised when he had my head that when they have their own heads, I take to colony. New friends for us, Toby and Jara!" Biran said excitedly. I was right; David did promise the Blue Bands to Biran, and by extension, Toby. If Biran had any problem with David controlling him, he didn't show it.

>What was it like having David in your head, Biran?> I asked, tentatively.

"Kept saying 'sorry'. Very sad. I told him 'You're a mean guy, but at least I fight yeerks. Fighting yeerks is fighting yeerks.' Then he told me 'thank you'." Biran repeated; this speech and last speech seemed to wear him out.

I know from experience, having been both the Controller and the controlled, that while the yeerks can hide their own thoughts from their hosts, it was impossible to hide their feelings. When Aftran controlled my body, I felt her sadness and despair as if it were my own. If Biran thought that David felt sad, it was because David was sad.

But the real question was: Why?

Biran echoed my thoughts. "David is strange. Why he feel sad?"

"Sometimes good people do evil things and they don't know why." Toby explained. She never ceases to amaze me with her insight.

"Makes no sense." Toby's uncle Toma said. "Yeerk in my head was bad. Did bad things because he liked being bad. If good person likes doing good, why do bad?"

Toma had hit upon a very important question. A question that has plagued mankind, and perhaps other-kind, for millennia.

>That, my Hork-Bajir friend, is the quintessential question of the history of all sentient races.> Ax said. >What makes a good person do bad things?>

>Pain.> Tobias answered eerily. >And fear.>

David walked into the bridge. "My ears are burning. Were you talkin' 'bout me?"

>You wish.> Marco quipped.

"It's almost time for our guests to arrive. Ayla, patch into the Yeerk-net."

>The Yeerk-net?> Ax asked. >Are going to broadcast this?>

"That's right. Every Yeerk head-honcho is going to have a front row center seat for the humiliation and execution of Visser Three."

>You're really going to do it.> Rachel said. >You're really gonna kill Visser Three.>

"No, Rachel, I'm not." David said. "Tobias is."

>What?> Ax asked.

"I thought about letting you do the honors, Aximili, but then I figured, who better to kill Elfangor's killer but his only son."

>Not like this David. Not like this.> Tobias said.

"Why the fuck not?" David said strongly. "Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime was hurt so many. Killed so many. Ruined so many lives. Mine, yours, EVERYONE'S! Millions have wept while he struts around in his stolen andalite form like he's the biggest shit in the galaxy."

>That's what this is all about?> Rachel asked. >Him?>

>No. It's about her.> Tobias said.

David looked solemnly at Tobias.

>I know how she makes you feel, David.> Tobias started. >Vulnerable. Weak. Powerless.>

They were talking about Stephanie.

>Shut Up!> David yelled in thought-speech. He could use thought speech cause his head had mostly turned lion. David shook his head and it returned to human.

David is a master morpher, better even than me, but he loses control of his abilities. When he loses control of his emotions.

When he loses control of himself.

"This is about making a statement." David said. "We may look like a weak and unsteady race. Yeerks think we're cows; the Andalites think we're rats, but we are humans. We fight each other. We fight ourselves. We withstand tornados, earthquakes, blizzards, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis. We burn the forests, boil the seas, and make the mountains bow. We slay lions and tigers. We harpoon whales. We fish for sharks. We imprison elephants. We slay dragons and tilt at giants.

"'Can you draw out a Leviathan with a hook or press down its tongue with a cord? Canst thou put a hook into his nose? Or bore his jaw through with a bridle ring?' WE CAN!

"We are Humans. Do not fuck with us."

I finally recognized how David was acting out. It's the way he acted out when he first joined us. Out of fear.

I was able to keep him with us by convincing him I was friend. I found out later that what I did only worked because he fell in love with me that night. Now he couldn't be stopped because a stronger love had brought him to the fear again.

To the fear and the pain.

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I promise: there will be action in the next chapter.

Oh, and if you think David is disturbing now . . . . . .

Lenalye, he **_will_** be knocked down a peg; don't worry!


	57. The David Hunting Show

_**July 10, 2000 8:30 PM**_

**Tobias**

Like many stupid things, this was all because of a girl. A girl that David loved. A girl that broke his heart. David had survived the heartbreak, and he was content to just let it rot, never to think on her again.

But she had to enter his life again. Because of that, we all had to suffer. The Animorphs. The Hork-Bajir. Even Visser Three.

My fellow animorphs struggled to understand what David was going through, but they couldn't figure it out. They figured their inability was due to none of them having experienced romantic heartbreak before.

Which isn't entirely true: Rachel and I have strong feelings for each other, and our unique . . . . situation has led to a little heartbreak on both our sides. But it wasn't heartbreak that made me come to some understanding of David's mindset.

It was torture. The way he gets unnerved when someone mentions Stephanie is how I feel when someone mentions Sub-Visser Fifty-One.

Taylor.

It was different. Taylor hurt my body and mind. Stephanie hurt his heart, but the end result was the same.

Stephanie made David feel weak and powerless, and that is why David is doing what he's doing. David is proving to the yeerks and by extension the known galaxy that he's strong and powerful.

Once he's convinced the whole galaxy, maybe then he could convince himself.

But until then David had turned us into his puppets. Players in his theatre of dementia. It would be horrible enough if we just had to watch this showcase.

But he expected me to participate. He expected me to kill Visser Three.

"We are patched into the Yeerk-Net." Said the computerized feminine voice we assumed was Ayla, some possibly sentient computer program David made. "Ready to broadcast."

David morphed into a black teenager. He had used this morph once before to crash Marco's father's wedding. For whatever reason, David's morph was wearing a white tuxedo.

"It's showtime." He said to us.

"Broadcasting in 5," Ayla said. "4, 3, 2, 1"

Lights hit David. "Your regularly scheduled program will not be seen tonight, so we may bring you this special execution: The David Hunting Show! Simul-cast in Galard!" David announced as he made the Vulcun Salute.

"Our guests tonight: To my left, the mighty and powerful, Defenders of the Earth, Scourge to the Yeerks, my former slave masters and current temporary slaves, the Andalite Bandits!"

Lights illuminated us. I noticed lights also illuminated Toby and her warriors. Was David trying to tell the Yeerk Empire that Toby and her warriors were actually Andalites?

"And entering our studio:" David continued, "Councilor Four and his entourage!"

The hovering droids entered the bridge carrying Councilor Four, now awake and the five Blue Band Hork-Bajir that Biran, Ax, and I had to fight. Actually, we only had to fight two of them; the other three were still unconscious. Even just the two of them nearly killed us. All five of the Hork-Bajir were unconscious.

"Visser Two and his bodyguards!" David announced as the hovering droids came in with three more Hork-Bajir.

"The entire Peach Haven Task Force!" David announced as more hovering droids came in this time with seven humans.

David had also captured seven Gedd-controllers, but before he started this broadcast he made mention of "dealing with the lowly Gedd-controllers", which made me wonder what he did with them. David seems to be doing everything in his power _not_ to take a life. And yet, how strange is it that all of his life preserving should culminate in an assassination?

"And now, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce our distinguished special guest of honor. The Abomination. The Monster. The Myth. The Butcher of the Hork-Bajir: former War-Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corass, and his yeerk captor, the Third Visser of the Yeerk Empire: Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six Prime!"

A droid hovered in carrying the Visser. He looked angry and frustrated at his powerlessness.

"And now our host, he's just a small town boy, born in South Detroit, the one, the only: Daaaaaaavid Hunting!" As he said this, he demorphed from his feet upwards like a film reveal. David was wearing his usual clothing, not dressing up nice for the occasion. Sneakers, jeans, T-shirt, and trench coat.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha." He laughed as he finished demorphed. "Thank you, Yeerk Scum of TV-Land. Thanks for tuning into a very special episode of _The David Hunting Show_."

>It's official.> Marco said. >He's completely lost his mind.>

"But first, a word from our sponsors," David said as he morphed into an older male wearing what Rachel calls 'casual dress attire', except he kept the trench coat. I recognized this human morph too. It was the morph of the Controller he acquired during his first mission with us, the banquet of the seven world leaders.

"Having trouble with morph-capable warriors?" said David in morph as he pulled a syringe from his pocket. "Then you need Protimus-Bots! Inject Protimus-Bots into the morph-capable warrior and with touch of a button, you find out everything you wanted to know about every single morph they got. And you can also trap them in any morph you want, OR keep them as their own sweet loveable blue or purple selves."

>What does he mean he knows about all our morphs?> Marco asked.

>David calls his invention 'Protimus-Bots'. I can only assume then that it must have something to do with the protimus capsules.> Ax explained. >You see, when we acquire a morph the biotechnology stores it into what is called a protimus capsule.>

"Works on Andalites," David said motioning to us, "or Andalite-Controllers!" David poked Visser Three in his cheek.

>Affecting the protimus capsules would then affect morphing.> Ax continued. >If David can now externally control the Protimus capsules, then he could theoretically read them as well. That could be how he knew I had a djabala morph.>

"Protimus-Bots by Proteus Industries. Avaliable Nowhere!" David finished and demorphed. "And we're back with our Special Guest, Esplin 9466 Prime. So, Esplin, as the only Andalite-controller in existence some would say that you're a big success, but as some of us know, success is not always equivalent to popularity. Take what Visser Two wrote in the first part of his report,"

Visser Two shot his head up in surprise.

"'Esplin 9466 is highly ineffective and completely insane. His methods are questionable, his results are sloppy, and his operations are the worst kind of grandiose tripe.'" David recited. "OUCH! Not very nice or constructive."

Visser Three glared angrily at Visser Two for a bit, but realized that he was not his enemy right now.

"I like better what Councilor Four wrote in his personal journal last night." David said as the S-s-stram-Controller's eyes went wide in a human-like expression of shock. David began to recite, "'Esplin 9466 represents both the best and the worst of yeerk ambition. He is often delinquent to our command, but even in his delinquency he still remains completely loyal to us.'

"Let's hear that one more time, '. . . even in his delinquency he still remains completely loyal to us.'"

The emphasis was for us. He's been trying to convince us that even if he's not with us, he's not against us.

But comparing yourself to Visser Three is not the best way to prove your point.

Ironically, David fails to make another connection to himself when he recites "'But, Esplin's plans, though ambitions, are often poorly executed. In addition, he would learn better from his mistakes if he we were not so arrogant. I do not like him. No, not one bit.' Man, you are just not making friends on either side." David commented.

I had never seen a S-s-stram before today, so naturally I had no idea how to interpret their facial expressions. Still, it seemed as if the S-s-stram controller was . . . ashamed.

"I can relate. You see, I'm on _their_ side," David said motioning to us, "but they think _I'm_ just a crazy, disturbed human. They can't control me, and they don't particularly like me, but still they fight to protect my planet from you losers."

I realized David said this to distance himself from us in the Yeerks' eyes. So they'll no longer connect David's actions with those of the Andalite Bandits.

He did that to protect us.

"They're jerks," David continued, "but you gotta give props to Andalite nobility. Not that you would know anything about Andalite nobility, Esplin. I mean the one andalite you know better than anyone is, well, a genocidal criminal."

I noticed Toby snarl a little. I guess she forgot what Visser Three's host did to her people.

David walked over to Visser Three and put something in each of his ears.

>What are you doing?> Visser Three asked.

"Making sure you don't escape like a coward. I had those earplugs custom made for you." David said as he morphed into Visser Three. >Thankfully, I had your size.> He said in the Visser's thought-speech. >Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.> He laughed in his own thought-speech.

A few droids on wheels came in and approached Visser Three. They put silver globes on Visser Three's hands and tail blade. Another rolling droid put a red, metal post in the middle of the bridge and small red, metal brick a few feet behind it.

Two more droids came in dragging a rack on wheels. A rack of weapons. I saw a sword, a spear, a mace, an axe, and a whip.

"You know, Esplin," David continued, "in certain ancient civilizations of Earth, when a man has failed so completely like you and Alloran, they would throw themselves upon their swords."

David picked the sword up off the rack and the Visser's eyes went wide.

"But that would be a good death for a good man who did good works. Neither you nor Alloran qualify in my opinion. Therefore, I have something a little more brutal in mind."

>Killing me when I'm tied up and unable to morph.> The Visser spoke for the first time. >You are a coward, Morph-Human. If you had any 'Andalite Nobility' as you call it, you would best me in combat!>

"'Best me in combat'?" David repeated. "Is that what you did to Elfangor? Best him in combat? No, I think you killed him when he was helpless and 'unable to morph.'

"Besides, I _have_ bested you in combat. I've slit your throat, I've set you ablaze, but still you manage to survive. Combat? We're both bored of that. No, you will not die a warrior. You will die like a sinner." David said as he snapped his fingers.

The robotic tendril that held Visser Three dropped him in the middle of the bridge. The red metal post lit up and the globes on Visser Three's hands pulled the Visser toward the post until they were attached. The globe on his tail blade then became attached to the red metal brick.

Visser Three was bound in a familiar position. David put down the sword.

And picked up the whip.

>Oh God.> I muttered.

>Please, God, no.> Cassie thought-spoke as her wolf morphed whimpered.

"Forty is the magic number, Esplin." David said he stepped behind the Visser's back.

>Hunting! Whatever you do to me, I will make you pay for it!> Visser Three said, his thought-speech dripping in anger and frustration.

And fear.

"Computer, keep count for me." David said as he swung the whip around his body.

>David! Don't do this!> Cassie yelled.

>Release me at once!> The Visser demanded. >Release me or I will make you—>

FWAAP! The whip hit him on his "human" back. The Visser screamed.

>AAAAAAAH! You monster! You Beast!>

FWAAP! Again on his upper back.

>AAAAAAAH! I'll kill you, Hunting. I'll kill you!>

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> The visser started to breathe heavier. >I'm going to . . . . I'm going to . . . .>

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> The Visser screamed, but offered no threats.

FWAAP! This time the whip hit the Visser at the base of one of his stalk eyes.

>AAAAAAAH!> The Visser screamed louder and in greater pain as the stalk eye flew off and landed on one of the human-controllers.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" she screamed in terror as the Visser's disembodied stalk eye stared blankly at her.

>David, stop this! This is not honorable!> Ax protested.

"That's precisely the point, Andalite." David replied.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> The Visser screamed.

>This is about five different kinds of wrong.> Marco said privately. >I mean, I know he's our worst enemy, but damn!>

>David, stop this! Stop this NOW!> I commanded.

"Just getting started." David said.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> This hit directly in the group of muscles that connected the Visser's "human" half to his "deer" half. The Visser's Andalite knees began to buckle after each hit.

David walked around the Visser with his back to us. We swung his whip and caught the Visser in his flank.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!>

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> Again, in the flank.

"En-taga!" Councilor Four shouted.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> The Visser was hit in his forelegs. He went down, leaning on the post, his hands still attached to it. The Visser slowly rose to his stolen hooves. >I'll . . . get . . . you . . . . for—>

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAH!> The Visser was hit at the base of his tail causing him to lurch forward. Blue blood began to pool on the floor of the bridge.

FWAAP! FWAAP!

>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!> The back of his "deer" half was hit twice in succession. I didn't know if David counted that as one or two.

>Stop this, David!> Cassie shouted as she started to freak out. >Stop this! Stop this! STOP THIS!>

>Cassie, calm down.> I said.

>But David . . . . he's . . . . . >

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!>

"Stop!" Toby yelled. "No more!"

"Tezza Shieko!" Visser Two yelled in protest.

The Councilor said something long in a soft tone.

>What are they saying, Ax?> I asked.

>The same thing. 'Stop this. Please.'> Ax translated, sadness in his thought-speech. Of all of us, Ax hated Visser Three the most. Yet, even he was horrified by David's display of cruelty.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAH!> The Visser fell to his knees again. This time he did not get up.

>Stop this David!> Ax commanded.

>This isn't right, man!> Marco protested.

Cassie howled in sadness.

Only then did I notice that Rachel had remained silent.

I looked at her and her grizzly face was unreadable.

But I got the sinking feeling that she approved.

FWAAP!

>AAAAH!> The Visser's thought-speech screams got shorter as he lacked the energy to scream.

Cassie howled again.

David had said that millions had wept because of the Visser, but here, humans, yeerks, andalites, and hork-bajir weep because of him.

David stopped and the Visser stood up. David pressed something on the post. The Visser's right arm hung free from the post. David then put his foot to the Visser's right flank and kicked, pushing him. The Visser's weakened legs buckled and he tipped over sideways into the pool of his own blood. The fall stretched his left arm which was still attached to the post.

David's back was now to the controllers and I couldn't see where his hits landed as well, but I definitely heard the response.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!> The Visser screamed loudly as the whip ripped previously untouched skin on what appeared to be the lower abdomen of his "human" half.

"Fay'shaka toe na sssss-sya! Oosh moori!" The Coucilor protested. "En-TAGA!"

>The Councilor is threatening to make all of Earth pay for his crimes.> Ax translated.

>David, stop this! You'll rain Hell upon us all.> I pleaded.

"Let it come!" David shouted.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!> Visser Three lifted his right arm in front of him. A vain attempt at protection. >Stop. . . . . Please.> Was all he said.

David didn't listen. FWAAP!

The visser didn't scream so much as grunted at the whip which wrapped around his arm. He didn't scream until David pulled the whip back tearing a hunk of flesh of the Visser's arm.

>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!>

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!>

>David, stop this! Please!> I shouted. I knew he would not listen, but I couldn't stop myself.

"No more, David!" Toby shouted.

"En-taga!" cried Visser Two.

"Stop!" cried one of the human-controllers, the first time someone directly in Visser Three's command protested to the flogging.

>Please stop this. This is inhuman!> Cassie hysterically protested as she howled sorrowfully.

"Zu Andalites-ssss obonalo ty, ish'd dana ka!" Councilor Four said in Galard. "En-taga!"

Ax offered a translation, but I didn't need one. He was saying the same thing we all were. That this horrible, evil act of cruelty should stop.

David kept whipping throughout.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!>

Toby's Hork-Bajir who had been silent throughout began making horrible moans in protest. After a while the conscious Hork-Bajir-controllers, including Visser Two, joined in.

Councilor Four shouted his protests in Galard. "En-taga!" was heard a lot. The human-controllers all began shouting. One of the older women was crying.

We shouted our protests in thought-speech, and unlike normal speech, we didn't have to stop to breathe.

But David whipped throught

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!>

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!>

>David, this is serious 'fuck with your head' type stuff!> Marco started. >You don't come back from crossing a line like this.>

"Oh, don't even make me fucking say it!" David replied back.

FWAAP!

>AAAAH!>

"This is not a good thing." The blonde girl named Stephanie said. "If you finish this, you'll be just as bad as Brett Taggart!"

FWAAP! This time, the whip did not hit the Visser, although I noticed him jerking in anticipation. It hit the floor near the human-controllers. Something David's ex-girlfriend said ticked him off.

"Shut up! Shut your fucking face! You don't talk anymore!" David yelled as Stephanie with the kind of anger I hadn't seen him have since we rescued him that night in Georgia.

David's left arm, the one not holding the whip, had turned red and into a talon like claw. Something alien.

>It's that red thing he morphed that night he left us.> Marco realized.

David shook his arm and it became human again. He turned back to the Visser. "Fuck, I lost count. Computer?"

"Your count is . . ." Ayla began. She seemed to waver. "38."

_38? No, it was only something like 20_.

"Huh." David said, believing her. "Oh well."

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!> Visser Three screamed as he was struck in the rump.

David swung the whip a few times for his last whip.

FWAAP!

>AAAAAAH!> The whip hit Visser Three in his face at the part where a human mouth would be. The way the wound appeared, it was almost as if the Visser was smiling a horrible, blue, parody of a smile.

"That was . . . . ." David began. I was horrified he might say the word 'fun'. "Interesting." Was what he said.

The Visser laid there, breathing heavily. His body was drenched in sweat and blood. His face was covered in it, coming mostly from the wound of his severed stalk eye.

"Cheer up, Visser. The worst is over. First I'll take away your physical pain, and then one of the andalites will take away _all_ your pain."

He meant me. >No! I refuse!> I said.

David ignored me. "Computer, have we fully analyzed the Visser's morph-set yet?"

"No." said Ayla. "The Visser has over 200 different DNA samples. Analysis and extrapolation will take at least another three hours."

"200?" David repeated. "And I thought _I_ was morph crazy. Well, we can't wait three hours. Identify DNA codes that are the same species as the aristh's current morph."

"Match found."

"Activate."

Instantly, Visser Three began changing. His hands and tail slipped out of the silver globes that held them. The whip marks went away, as his skin became darker and unscarred. He grew a mouth. His arms and legs both changed into identical legs with claws. I finally recognized the animal. It was the same creature Ax was: a djabala.

Since morphing works from DNA it heals you, but I was unsure whether or not the Visser would be truly "healed"

The Visser had been on his side throughout the morph. He rolled to his belly and began to walk. As he did that, droids came and put up five more posts like the red one. Set up in a hexagon pattern, David activated the posts by giving a command to Ayla and a fence that seemed to be made of energy about five feet high enclosed an area about the size of a boxing ring. Visser Three stood there, standing and covered in his own Andalite blood, looking around with two main eyes and two stalk eyes.

>What . . . . what's going on?> The Visser finally asked.

"It's time for you to die, Visser." David said as he snapped his fingers.

The robotic tendril holding me, swung and released me, throwing me into the ring. I landed on my feet as a good cat should. The smell of Andalite blood excited my leopard senses.

Oh no.

>Don't do anything rash, Andalite.> Visser Three half-warned/half-pleaded with me.

I growled as I tried to fight my leopard instincts. About two weeks before David entered our lives, Cassie got lost in the woods with a human-controller named Karen. A real leopard had also gotten loose from a rich eccentric in the area. The creature was a terrifying hunter who nearly claimed the lives of both Cassie and Karen and by extension, Aftran, her yeerk captor.

Aftran gave up the life of a parasite and we gave her the morphing power. We made her trap herself in a morph of her choosing. She chose a humpback whale. Now she swam free in Earth's great oceans.

Oceans that may no longer be safe, now that David has the Sea Blade. What did David call this ship? _Proteus_?

>No. David.> I refused. >I won't kill the visser like this.>

>Do it!>

That didn't come from David. That came from Rachel.

>Who cares how he got there, we can't just let Visser Three escape. He's too powerful an enemy.> Rachel rationalized. >Come on, we'll make David pay for it later, but now, let's finish this. Kill one enemy then we can deal with the other one.>

>David is not our enemy.> Ax argued.

>I hate to break it to you, Ax, but yeah he is. Your old roommate has us tied-up and our powers neutralized. What would you call him? 'Friend'? With friends like him, who needs enemies?>

>David's not trying to hurt us.> Cassie said. >If anything, he in his misguided way is trying to help us.>

>Who cares? Fine, he's helping us. He's helping us kill Visser Three, so let's do it!>

>Rachel, if Tobias kills him this way, he'll be just as bad as Visser Three. He would have killed him just like how Visser Three killed his father, Elfangor.> Cassie said.

>To me, that sounds like the _perfect_ reason to do it!> Rachel replied.

>To me, Rachel, it sounds like the perfect reason _not_ to do it.> I said. >No, David. I won't do it. I won't betray the memory of Prince Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul. I won't sully the memory of my father!>

David didn't get angry. He just kind of sighed. "Fine. I can respect that." David said as he walked to his rack of weapons. He picked up the sword and walked to the edge of the energy fence. "This seems kind of anticlimactic, but," David said as he held the sword in a stabbing position above where Visser Three stood. Visser Three made no attempt to evade.

David raised the blade.

TSSSSSSSEEEEWWW! Dracon Flash.

"AAAAAH!" David screamed. Metal clanged to the ground. He was hit!

>David!> Cassie shouted.

I looked through the energy fence and I could see that David wasn't moving.


	58. Lost in the Darkness

**_July 10, 2000 9:52 PM_**

**Tobias**

David held the sword in a stabbing position above where Visser Three stood. Visser Three made no attempt to evade.

David raised the blade.

TSSSSSSSEEEEWWW! Dracon Flash.

"AAAAAH!" David screamed. Metal clanged to the ground. He was hit!

>David!> Cassie shouted.

I looked through the energy fence and I could see that David wasn't moving. Wait! Yes, he was; he was slowly morphing.

But David can morph in seconds, if he was morphing slowly, something must have been wrong.

I looked to where the Dracon flash originated from. A massive Hork-Bajir wearing a blue band stood there.

David had warned us there should have been six Blue Bands in Councilor Four's group, not five. Looks like he was right.

"Nodnarb fevrej bio dyna! Sssssss-snaja daps-sssss-sen orchua!" Councilor Four shouted.

The Blue Band Hork-Bajir shot all the hovering droids so all the Controllers were released. Some of the _Proteus_'s shredder cannons turned on, but the Hork-Bajir shot those too. He was like a sharpshooter.

The Blue Band carried with him a case. He gave it to one of Visser Two's bodyguards and he took out something that looks like a dart and stabbed one of the sleeping Blue Bands. He awoke.

As they moved to revive the other Blue Bands, Councilor Four motioned to Visser Two to get Visser Three. I snarled at him, but he ignored me. As he begrudgingly went to pick him up, a red energy field appeared and separated the two vissers. The energy fence had a ceiling. It wasn't there before; someone must have turned it on. I turned my head to see who it was. It was a baboon.

David in morph.

David snarled menacingly at the others.

>Ayla!> David commanded. >Activate Auto-shredders.>

"I already did. Nodnarb broke them all." Ayla answered.

Nodnarb must have been the name of the yeerk in the Blue Band Hork-Bajir.

>Then release the Hork-Bajir!> David commanded.

Toby and her six warriors were released from their tendrils.

"Yes!" cried Garik. "Garik beat some Yeerks now!"

"Those aren't Andalites. Those are free Hork-Bajir!" Stephanie cried.

"Hurt Yeerks. Make sleep. No Kill." Toby commanded, keeping her commands short as to not reveal herself as a seer.

Toby and the others attacked. Nodnarb raised his Dracon Beam, but David in Baboon morph leaped up and bit his arm, causing him to drop the weapon.

The human-controllers all backed up into the wall of the bridge. David and Nodnarb were locked in a struggle. I don't think Nodnarb ever expected this much trouble from something that is so much smaller than him.

But baboons are mean and vicious animals. They're like humans that way.

My attention was turned to Toby and her men. They had rendered Visser Two and his two bodyguards unconscious minutes ago. Now the six of them fought the five Blue Bands. I had never seen Blue Band Hork-Bajir until today though I do remember Erek telling me about them once. They seemed to be an elite group of warriors. I'm so grateful Visser Three doesn't have Blue Bands. Toby's group outnumbered the Blue Bands (not counting Nodnarb who was wrestling with David), though I would hardly call that an advantage. If anything they were disadvantaged because they were trying NOT to kill the Blue Bands.

But they held their own. Garik was a mighty fighter, viciously pounding on one of the Blue Bands, rendering it unconscious. Then he tackled another Blue Band that was attacking Toby. Toby revealed to us that Garik and she were in a relationship. Biran and Yenke were also especially skilled, they had positioned themselves well with their opponents such that at the right time, both Kelk brothers ducked and their opponents hit each other! Toma, Jara's brother, and Enga were double-teaming the last Blue Band, but she was withstanding. Toby joined in and they knocked the massive female Hork-Bajir-controller unconscious.

The Councilor saw that the free Hork-Bajir were winning and that the human-controllers were of no help whatsoever, so I guess he decided to join in. He headbutted Garik in the back with his ram-like horns, knocking him over. Garik was quick however, and he swept his legs into the Blue Band's legs also knocking the controller down.

>I can't believe I'm missing all this action!> Rachel of course.

And that's when the ship lurched violently. WHAM! WHAM!

Everyone on the bridge struggled to maintain their balance, except for David, who was particularly nimble in his morph, myself, who was even more nimble, and Councilor Four, whose host body just quivered with the ship.

"Z-space transponders damaged. Transmission offline. _The David Hunting Show_ has been unexpectedly cancelled, David!" Ayla announced.

Councilor Four and Nodnarb decided that it was time to leave and they quickly escaped out of the bridge door.

>No! Don't leave me here!> cried Visser Three

The Human-controllers tried to follow, but David cut them off, holding the Dracon Beam that Nodnarb dropped earlier.

>Don't. Even. Think about it.> David warned.

"David," started Stephanie in her talking-to-homicidal-maniacs voice. "I'm sorry."

>Shut up.>

"This is Aftran the yeerk talking." Stephanie clarified. "I'm very sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

>Listen to her, David. I think she means it.> Cassie said.

"I am so very sorry," Stephanie repeated, "and I'm ready to tell you the truth."

>I can't handle the truth.> David responded.

I couldn't tell if he was quoting _A Few Good Men_ and trying to be funny, or if he really meant what he said.

Knowing David, probably both.

WHAM! WHAM!

>AYLA! What's attacking my ship!>

"Umm, it's a humpback whale."

>A whale? You mean we're underwater?> I asked idiotically.

>Jake?> Rachel wondered.

>Jake doesn't have a humpback whale morph.> Cassie reminded us.

>It's not him. It's _her_.> David figured out.

_What? "Her"?_

That's when we heard, >Yeerks! Leave my ocean immediately. I am . . .um . . . . the great guardian monster of the sea!>

>Aftran?> Cassie identified, shocked as all hell. Talk about the last person we would expect to see.

>Cassie? What are doing on the Blade Ship? And what is the Blade Ship doing underwater? Have you been captured?> Aftran asked.

Aftran is the yeerk we saved after she started the yeerk rebellion. She is now a nothlit of a humpback whale. Not to be confused with the Aftran that has infested Stephanie.

>Ayla! Get some more Capture Droids in here!> David commanded. Then, in more public thought-speech, >Aftran! Stop attacking my ship! This ship is under human control!>

>Aftran? The rebel?> Visser Three repeated. >So, that's what you did with her!>

>Human control? How do I know you aren't infested?> Aftran asked.

>He isn't, but he _is_ holding us hostage!> Rachel shouted.

>What?> Aftran asked, both confused and a little furious.

>No, wait, Aftran, it's not that simple!> Cassie said. >Don't attack the ship. Let me get through to David.>

"My external auto-guns work. Do you want me to fire upon the nothlit?" Ayla asked.

>NO! Don't do that!> David quickly belayed.

He didn't want to hurt Aftran the Whale. Would I ever understand this guy? I looked to the Hork-Bajir and noticed that they were still fighting. Toma and Enga were lying on the ground, but even with the hum of the energy fence, I could still tell they were breathing. Three of the Blue Bands were also lying around unconscious.

>If anyone can, you can, Cassie. I trust you.> Aftran the Whale finally said.

Hovering Droids entered the bridge and effectively ceased the fighting between the Hork-Bajir-Controllers and the free Hork-Bajir. They were once again tied up in robotic tendrils. The droids also re-captured the human-controllers.

The ceiling of the energy fence turned off and a hovering droid captured me too, and lifted me up out of the little coliseum David had built for me and Visser Three.

David demorphed from Baboon as he made his way to the control deck of the bridge.

CRUNCH! Pain in my tail!

WARRRRRRLLL! I roared. I looked down to see a djabala holding my tail with its teeth. I instinctively twisted my body to shake off the offending creature. I flung the djabala toward the door out of the bridge and the djabala skittered off.

"NO!" David yelled as he fired upon the djabala, missing.

It was then that I realized I just let Visser Three escape.

"Damnit!" David said, throwing the dracon beam away in frustration. "Where is the Councilor and Nodnarb?"

"They have returned to the Councilor's Carrier Ship." Ayla reported. "They are attempting to activate the hatch, but of course, they cannot disable my codes. I do however predict with 98 percent probability that they will attempt to blast—"

BOOM! The _Proteus_ rocked again.

"Too late. Nevermind." Ayla added.

Water began rushing into the bridge from the hall. The initial wave soaked up to David's ankles and the water level slowly rose.

"Ah, Fuckbeans!" David exclaimed. "Where's the Carrier Ship now?"

"Slowly blasting through the water. I think you can swim faster they're going, David, but they are still getting farther than I can monitor now that Aftran has damaged the _Proteus_"

"Where's Megadeth?"

"The Conservatory."

"Second Deck. The water hasn't reached there yet." David realized. He morphed into 'Terry Stevens', the composite human morph he uses when he goes out in public. >Aftran, this is David. A Yeerk Carrier Ship is leaving my ship. It's struggling in the water, do you think you can mess it up a bit?>

>I don't want to kill my fellow yeerks, David.> Aftran said plainly.

>Fine! Will you at least watch it for us? Tell us if it does something interesting? You kind of damaged my ship's monitoring capabilities.>

Aftran didn't answer.

>It's okay, Aftran.> Cassie said.

>Fine, I'll keep watch. I don't want them in my ocean any more than you, David.>

>Thank you.> David said. He demorphed and began shouting orders like a Navy Captain. "Seal up the Yeerk Pool Room! Get the Hork-Bajir, the humans, and the Gedds into the Conservatory and seal that up. Patch up the hurt. Put the Animorphs in the upper lock."

>Did he just say 'Yeerk Pool Room'?> Marco wondered aloud.

"Animorphs?" Stephanie curiously repeated.

David speedily morphed into an eel and began swimming around in the rising water. >When the Animorphs are in the lock, liquidate the active protimus-bots.> He commanded and swum away.

The Hovering droids began to move us all. All of us, humans, andalites, hork-bajir, and yeeks, were taken up a vertical tube.

>This is a lift.> Aximili explained. >Like a human elevator.>

>The Carrier ship has breached the water surface and is now floating on the surface.> Aftran reported.

We passed a room and all the Controllers plus Toby and her warriors were taken inside.

>Toby!> I shouted, alarmed by our separation. If Toby and her warriors drowned in this ship, it would be my fault.

I could only a glimpse at what was inside, but I'm pretty sure I saw trees.

Our hovering droids stopped and an opening appeared in the ceiling. They floated up into the hole. We were inside a badly lit room. On the ceiling of this room was a hatch. An Air-lock. A connecting port to the outside.

Wait, outside? There was water outside.

The droids unceremoniously dropped us onto the floor, and then floated down through the hole, closing it behind them.

>Well, this is just great. Next time we decided to drop in on David, call the men in the white coats, because we need to be committed.> Marco muttered.

>Tobias, I just want to say,> Rachel started, her big grizzly eyes looking into my cat eyes, >I understand why you didn't kill Visser Three, and I'm glad you didn't. You were right. That's not the way.>

>Thank you, Rachel.> I said.

Water started to rush through the hatch.

>Oh great.> Marco said.

"The upper hatch will fully open in eight minutes." Ayla announced.

>Thanks for the warning.> Marco said sarcastically

"No prob, Bob." Ayla returned sincerely.

>This ship has weird sense of humor.>

>David said the protimus-bots would be disabled when we were in the lock.> Cassie reminded us. >We can morph now!>

Cassie had already started to shed her wolf form. We all began to demorph.

>I'm demorphing. Of my own accord! Oh, thank Je—!> Marco started to laud as he made his transition into human.

I demorphed as well, but unfortunately for me, this meant getting smaller, and the water level was rising. Thankfully, Cassie was human first, and she lifted up my shifting form out of the water.

>It is good to be out of that djabala body.> Ax praised. >While I liked being an animal from the Home World, it is disconcerting for a warrior to be such a lethargic animal.>

Lethargic? That must be why Visser Three was so unresponsive in that morph.

>Don't get too comfortable; we need to have fins or flippers in about five minutes!> I reminded them.

>AAAAH! Hey! They're firing at me!> Aftran announced.

"Aftran's in trouble!" Cassie said.

>Water-battle morphs now!> I commanded.

Cassie and Marco began to morph orcas. Ax morphed his Tiger Shark. Rachel morphed into a Hammerhead.

I morphed a Nartec.

>A Nartec? Why that morph?> Rachel asked me.

>You guys go on ahead. I'm staying. I need to make sure Toby is all right.>

And I wanted to speak to David.

The Hatch opened and the five us swum out. The others swam toward the surface looking for Aftran. I stayed close to the slowly, sinking ship. I found the hole near the belly hatch the Councilor must have made he blasted his way out. I swam inside and made my way to the bridge. I knew that's where David would be.

I was angry. No, I was mad. David was my friend. I cared about what happened to him. And yet, for him to do this to us. To turn us into his puppets!

>Tobias, the Councilor has entered the water!> Rachel yelled. >He's making his way to you!>

When I made my way to the bridge. I saw something I didn't expect.

David in orca morph was wrestling with some yellow snake. I recognized the yellow snake. It was Visser Three. He used that morph when we were at Royan Island.

Visser Three had David in his coils and he was squeezing the life out of David.

Unfortunately for the Visser, David had Visser Three's snake head clamped in his mighty orca jaws. They bounced around the waterclogged machinery of the Bridge like some crazy bouncy ball. That's when I remembered the rack of weapons. It had fallen over in the water, but I was able to swim to it. I grabbed the spear and I looked at the wrestling ball that was David and Visser Three.

I don't know what possessed me to do it. I could argue that David's darkness is contagious. Maybe I attempted to bring him out of it by going there myself. It sounds a lot nicer than what someone else might think of what I did.

David and Visser Three made their way to me. When they got close enough, I plunged the spear into flesh.

I had skewered the Visser through and through, and in doing so, the spear was also deep inside David.

Twin thought-speech screams accompanied the stab.

>AAAAH!> >AAAAAH!>

I withdrew the spear. The Visser flopped down like sack of bricks, seemingly slain. David was floating toward me, purely by momentum. I moved out of the way and he crashed head-first into the rack of weapons, lodging a mace into his forehead.

David began to swim up, bleeding profusely from both the spear wound and the mace.

>That . . . . wasn't . . . . very nice, . . . . Feathers.> David said as he swum away, leaving the bridge.

I looked down at the visser and saw that he was still moving. I lifted the spear up and was about to skewer him in his head.

>I supposed this is a better way, Visser?> I asked him.

>Yes. Better.> Visser Three replied weakly.

WHAM! I was hit broadside by something hard.

The Councilor! The S-s-stram Controller rammed his bony horned head into me. He was wearing a mouthpiece and what I assumed to be an oxygen tank was carried by two of his five arms. He wrapped his snake-like lower body around the Visser and carried him out of the bridge.

>No, you don't!> I shouted as I followed him into the halls of the _Proteus_. I don't know why I was so intent on following Visser Three. I came back here to face David.

WHAM! Oh, speak of the Devil.

I was hit in my back by something hard and sharp. I floated down onto the floor of the _Proteus_. I rolled to my back and saw Naca the Nartec with a mace in his hand floating above me.

David in morph.

>That wasn't very nice, Tobias!> David shouted as he swung the mace down upon me. This time, I blocked the blow with my spear. >I know we've had our differences, but I thought you were my friend! Now, you're trying to kill me?>

David swung the mace down and again I blocked.

>I'm sorry, that was a moment of weakness,> I admitted as I blocked another blow from his mace, >but I still don't think you understand the damage you've done!>

I pushed at him with my spear and kicked my way vertical, not that it mattered in the water, but still, I'd like to fight somewhat on my feet.

I then realized I made a mistake in getting into a fight with David. David is a much better fighter than me. Too late now.

>What damage?> David asked me as he swung the mace again.

I evaded the attack and swung my spear, connect the shaft with his head, sending him floating into the wall, dropping his mace. >You've shown the Yeerks how dangerous you are. They'll send whatever they can throw at us now. They might even start open war! You've endangered everyone on Earth because you can't handle your ex-girlfriend!>

I thrusted the head of my spear at David's arm, but he caught the spear instead. He stuck his feet to the wall, anchoring him. He leaned into and swung the spear, causing me to go floating into the opposite wall, letting go of the spear.

David then held the spear correctly and swam to me. I was still floating a bit, so David put his foot on my chest, pushing me down to the floor. He put the spear tip close to my face.

David's mostly human Nartec face was flush with rage, and then it softened into a look of sadness.

>You're right, Tobias. You're totally right." David said tossing the spear. >I've really fucked up this time.>

The water level rapidly dropped and I found myself almost instantly in waist deep water.

>The water? It's being drained?> I asked.

"Of course it is." David said in Naca's voice. David than demorphed. "Did you really think I'd be unprepared for a flood?"

I just stood there, dumbfounded.

"Go ahead and demorph and . . . you might as well morph human. It won't matter now." David said to me.

>But the others. . . . they . . .>

". . . will be fine. Come on. You deserve to know what I'm doing here." David said.

I demorphed and remorphed to human. I followed David "upstairs" to the Consveratory.

What I thought was just a few trees, was actually a little mini jungle. Everything was dry. David mentioned sealing up the place. I guess no water got in here. As soon as we walked in Megadeth came running to his master.

David picked up Megadeth and held him. "Hey buddy. Were you watching our friends?"

David led me down a path through the trees and we saw everyone still tied up by the capture droids.

A boa constrictor was eyeing one of the older human-controllers.

"You don't need to be afraid of Hellboy, Mr. Gimble, or whatever the hell your Yeerk name is." David said referring to the snake. "His mouth isn't even big enough to eat Megadeth, let alone you."

"Are you going to kill us?" said an asian teenage girl.

"No, Jennie, or Aftran, right? You're another one of the whale's pool sisters, right? Heh-heh, the Aftran brood is a nasty type." David teased. He then got back on the subject. "No, yeerk, I won't kill you. My cowardice will prevent me from dealing with you Human-controllers in the same way."

"Cowardice?" I repeated.

"You were right, Tobias. I'm not ready to deal with Stephanie right now. I can't."

I put a hand on David's shoulder. "Then let us help you. You don't have to deal with her alone."

"You're wrong, Tobias. I do have to deal with her. Alone. But I don't have to do it now."

"David . . . please . . . . I should tell you—" Stephanie started.

"Gag her." David commanded.

"I should tell you—" Stephanie started before the Capture droid put a gag on her mouth.

"You can't just keep them tied up like that forever." I said.

"No, I have another way." David said mysteriously. "But you Hork-Bajir, I don't have any other use for. Toby Hamee on the other hand could use a few more good Hork-Bajir."

David looked up at Toby Hamee, still bound by the robotic tendrils. "You know I kinda expected the Animorphs to show up. I never expected you guys. Slick move, Tobias." David said. "Ayla, you can release the free Hork-Bajir."

Six Hork-Bajir landed on their feet. Immediately, Garik decided to rush David.

"Garik hurt David!" He screamed.

"Garik, don't!" Toby warned.

David gave Megadeth to me and flash-morphed to his massive Hork-Bajir morph and stopped Garik.

"Don't do that, Garik." David said calmly in his Hork-Bajir voice. "We are friends!"

"David is not friend. David tied up Toby. Tied us all up. Treated us like slaves." Garik maintained.

"You are right." David admitted. "I am sorry."

This seemed to confuse poor Garik. David and Garik released their hold on one another. "Sorry?"

David demorphed. "Yes. Please accept as my apology, eight new brothers-in-arms."

Megadeth didn't seem to like me, and he got so fidgety in my arms, I had to drop him. As soon as I did, he raced like a rocket into the bushes.

"Gedds kwala tey nuchi-sol, David Hunting." Visser Two said. "Vaga sheetay noopuey en-nusta Totalo."

"Freedom is the privilege of every sentient life-form, Visser Two." David said. "Every one of you yeerks, will have to make a choice. Think hard."

David snapped his fingers and he started walking. I and the free Hork-Bajir walked behind him. The capture droids hovered and followed David as well.

>Tobi—, hel—, Coun—> I heard Ax's faint thought-speech.

We entered another room, I immediately recognized where we were. Or rather, where we were at.

"You have a yeerk pool?" I asked.

"Uh-huh, and a Kandrona. It'll last me two years. More time than I need." David replied.

The Yeerk Pool Room had the yeerk pool in the middle of the room, like some sort of Jacuzzi room. There was a door to an adjacent room with a window that looked into this room. The adjacent room was dark; the lights were not on, so I couldn't see what else was in there. The only other thing in the room was a cabinet on the wall near the door to the adjacent room. I looked into the pool and I saw three yeerks all ready in there. I drew the connection to the three yeerks in the pool, and the three Gedds who are missing.

"Where are the other Gedds?" Toby asked, always the clear thinking one. "The ones who were infested by these yeerks?"

"They've all ready been . . . . processed." David answered.

"Visto ca la'ro Hork-Bajir. Ten?" Visser Two.

"Yes, she is. Didn't you realize?" David asked. Visser Two must have figured out she was a seer.

"Is this the plan? You're going to force them to leave their host bodies?"

"I'm not gonna force anyone." David said. "Hork-Bajir-Controllers! Listen up: This is the turning point in your life. You have two choices: Surrender or Death.

"If you surrender, you will leave your host body and live here in this Yeerk Pool. You will be safe and well fed. Your memories will be scanned and documented. I will know everything about you, as if you were my host. Should I find your surrender is connected to possible mutiny, you will be harshly dealt with. Surrendering will also mean I have your permission for me or any of my allies to acquire and morph you.

"Surrendering to me will mean full and complete defection from the Yeerk Empire."

"Toso wa ta? Okin aba vu hett Yeerk sulp?" asked one Hork-Bajir.

"That is one option: you may elect to simply stay this way, living forever within the confines of the Yeerk Pool, but surrendering to me will also afford you this possibility: My ally is working on a project that will effectively end the need for yeerks to infest others in order to truly live. You will be given new bodies without taking a host."

"Osot aba rot-tinii?" asked a different Hork-Bajir.

"You'll just have to trust me, but one thing is for certain: none of you will ever infest a host body again."

"Offesh ty'in ni nago-tro?" asked Visser Two.

"Refuse?" David repeated and walked toward the Gedds. "These four Gedd-controllers refused my offer once while three of their wiser brothers took it. You fellers get the luxury of a second chance. Any takers?"

But the Gedd-controllers were adamant. "PUK!" cried one of them, which I guess means "no".

"Very well." David said as he snapped his fingers again. The adjacent room lit up and we looked into it through the large window. The capture droids carried the Gedds into the room, which locked behind them, dropped them on the floor, and left through the ceiling.

"I could wait three days for you guys to die of Kandrona starvation, but three days can be such a long time, and there's always the possibility of escape. It's all very tiresome." David explained as everyone had their eyes transfixed on the four Gedd-controllers. "A few months ago I had the good fortune to come across an animal from a distant planet. It emitted a gas which I suppose is supposed act as an irritant. It doesn't particularly work well on aliens, but it has a rather odd effect on yeerks. You see the organic chemical that comprises the gas sucks up Kandrona rays remarkably well, even going so far as to _drain_ it from other organisms."

Visser Two gasped as an orangey-brown gas began to fill up the room with the Gedd-controllers.

"Emitting the gas takes a great deal of effort from the animal, but thankfully I've found a way to synthesize it." David explained.

The Gedds started gasping and collapsing to their knees. In a matter of minutes, out of each Gedd's ear slithered a discolored yeerk which almost immediately disintegrated.

"I call it Kan_drain_a. Clever, no?" David said as he chuckled to himself.

I thought I was done being horrified with David. He had actually succeeded where the Andalites had failed so many times. He created a substance deadly to yeerks.

"There is your choice, Hork-Bajir-Controllers. There," David said pointing to the Yeerk Pool, "or there." David pointed to the room that was now being ventilated. The four newly freed Gedds got up and looked blankly at each other. The door to the Gas Room opened and they timidly went through it and then walking to stand beside the free Hork-Bajir.

Two Shredder cannons descended from the ceiling and aimed at the Hork-Bajir-controllers. Auto-guns. The capture droids dropped all eight of the Hork-Bajir-controllers right there in the main Yeerk Pool Room. David had given them the choice. Now it was time for them to choose.

Visser Two began to yell something angrily in Galard, but stopped when he noticed that one of his bodyguards and two of the Blue Bands walked to the other side of the yeerk pool, signifying their acceptance of David's ultimatum. Visser Two began to protest but another Blue Band walked to the other side of the pool. Then the Visser's last bodyguard then another Blue Band. Only Visser Two and the fifth Blue Band refused David's offer.

"Time's up." David said.

Visser Two shouted angrily and charged David.

Tsssssssssewwwww! The Auto-guns activated and shot Visser Two in the chest. He fell backwards onto the ground.

"Change is coming, Visser. Believe me when I say it is better this way." David said. "Garik. Toma. If you don't mind . . ." David pointed to the sprawled Visser and to the Gas Room.

Garik and Toma understood David's meaning and picked up the Visser each by the arm. Visser Two began shrieking something horrible, but could not stop the two Hork-Bajir from dragging him into the Gas Room. David motioned for Biran and Yenke to do the same to the resisting Blue Band.

The Blue Band held up his hand in a 'stop' gesture. He then walked of his volition to the Gas Room.

"Wait." David said as he went to the cabinet on the far wall. He took out a cube from one of the drawers. Up close, it looked like bread. "Eat it. It'll help."

The Blue Band looked at David fiercely. He took the cube and ate it.

Garik and Toma threw the screaming Visser Two into the Gas room and quickly exited, shutting the door behind them. Visser Two made an attempt to leave the room, but failed.

Visser Two became hysterical as the Kandraina began to seep into the room. The Blue Band on the other hand just stood there, silent and defying. Visser Two began to gasp and cough and get weaker. The Blue Band, however, became drowsy and started to rest in the Hork-Bajir sleeping position: a tripod-like stance of his two legs and tail. Visser Two's hysterical pleas grew fainter as he completely collapsed onto the floor. The Blue Band continued to look as if peacefully sleeping. I barely noticed it when the browned yeerk left the Hork-Bajir's ear and disintegrated. Finally, from Visser Two's ear, the yeerk's dead form left and dissolved like dust in the wind. The two newly freed Hork-Bajir got up and calmly left the room to stand by Toby and her warriors.

"Why didn't you offer those cubes to everyone?" I asked him.

"The others were only rejecting life. Only that Blue Band accepted death."

What the hell does that mean?

"Controllers, if you please . . ." David said motioning to the pool.

The six hork-bajir-controllers knelt down and left their hosts, falling into the yeerk pool. The six hork-bajir stood up as free people. Nine yeerks swam as voluntary prisoners.

"Toby, your new citizens." David said proudly.

"I'm taking the Gedds too." Toby insisted.

"Why?" David asked bemusedly.

"Because the less sentient beings I leave in your care the better." Toby said.

"What about them?" I asked meaning the human-controllers.

David looked at them. "Ayla, the Cold Pods." The capture droids floated out of the Yeerk Pool room and headed . . . . who knows where.

"David, what are th—" I started to ask.

"They won't die." David said interrupting me.

I let it go. Stephanie was the entire reason I crashed his party in the first place, and I didn't want to leave without knowing what he did with her, but I didn't want to press the issue and get him riled up.

And I guess I still trust him not to hurt us. I'm still a little unsure about weather or not he'd hurt himself, but one thing I've learned from this little adventure is that David will do as he pleases and damned be him that tries to stop him.

We went to the lower deck, apparently headed toward the Bug Fighter Bay or Sea Bug Bay to leave.

"You'll take two Sea Bugs. Toby, do you remember how to fly one?" David asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"Good. I'll set the other one to just follow Toby until you can pick up Aximili and the others. Ayla? Have you found the other Animorphs yet?"

"Yes. The Councilor's Carrier Ship is still shooting at them."

"What!" David and I both yelled at the same time.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" David added. "Shit! We gotta leave now!" He began running toward the Sea Bug Bay. The Hork-Bajir picked up the slow moving Gedds and kept up with us.

We reached the Bay and David went into Navy Captain mode again.

"Ayla! Surface and raise the ship. Toby, take seven Hork-Bajir and two Gedds into your Sea Bug. Everyone else, with me."

David took the rest of us to another Sea Bug. As everyone squeezed into the limited space of the modified Bug Fighter, David flash-morphed into the slightly slimmer 'Terry Stevens' to give Ayla thought-speech commands. I also demorphed to give more space. I perched myself on Biran Kelk's shoulder.

>Ayla, can you see the Carrier Ship?>

>Yes.>

>Open Fire.>

>Shredder and Dracon Cannons offline. Out of range of Auto-guns.>

>Then get closer!>

>I could, but we've taken too much damage to repel an attack. Plus I'm expending a lot of power getting the humans into Cold Pods.>

David sighed. "All right. Hard way it is." >Open Bay doors.>

The emergency bay doors opened (since the regular ones were blasted away and patched up) and two Sea Bugs bolted out of the crippled _Proteus_.

Immediately I could see the Councilor's Carrier Ship brightly illuminated by the full moon and the flash of Dracon Beams. It was firing into the water. I could see two orcas and a humpback whale with many burn marks.

Marco. Cassie. And Aftran.

I remembered from an incident that happened with David that Yeerks could track creatures as large as orcas and whales, but not dolphins or sharks, Rachel and Ax's current morph.

Still, Ax and Rachel weren't going to leave the others, especially not Aftran who couldn't morph and who risked her life to rescue them. And none of them could demorph so they were stuck.

That must have been what Ax was trying to tell me: they were pinned. Again, I blamed myself. I should have told them all to morph sharks or dolphins. Play it safe!

But that wouldn't have saved Aftran the Whale.

The Carrier Ship fired into the water.

>Aaaaaah!> the thought-speech scream was faint, but I definitely heard it. I couldn't tell who it was, though.

David, who had demorphed, commanded us, "Someone take weapons."

>Um, what?> I asked.

David looked around at six confused Hork-Bajir, two oblivious Gedds, and one perplexed hawk.

"Shit." David muttered. "Ok, I'm putting it on auto-pilot. Do not touch anything. Nobody leaves the ship!"

David opened the Sea Bug's door and jumped out into the sky. He then morphed an alien creature. It was red with wings and four talons. It was the same morph he used right before he left us. He flew out toward the Carrier ship.

The Sea Bug seemed to be gliding down toward the surface of the water. David had left the Sea Bug's door open, so it was causing a lot wind noise inside the ship. It was also leading us closer to where the Yeerks were firing upon my friends. I was worried that this would make us a target when I noticed something.

A hammerhead shark was floating on the water surface. Its tail fin had been burnt off. It was slowly demorphing. Then I remembered who the hammerhead was.

>Rachel!> I realized.

And then I saw the Carrier Ship fly toward her.

>NOOO!> I shouted as I flew out of the open door nearly snapping my wings in the process, but I didn't care. I had to get to her. I saw two orcas race to get to Rachel's shifting form, but neither would make it in time.

Neither would I.

Tsssewwww! The Carrier Ship fired. >NOOOOO!> I screamed. If Rachel had died, it would have been my fault! How could I have lived with myself after that? I watched my life slowly be destroyed; it was as if time itself had slowed down. The Beam was about to hit Rachel when a red alien creature flew into its path.

I watched in horror as half an alien fell, burning into the sea.

>DAVID! You IDIOT!> I shouted.

Tssewwww! Tsssewwww! Two more Dracon Beams fired, but not from the Carrier Ship. Toby's Sea Bug fired them upon the Carrier Ship! Both beams hit and the Carrier Ship instantly retreated.

I circled around where David had fallen. I could barely tell in the darkness of night even with the full moon that Rachel was mostly human. Good, that means it's unlikely the yeerks noticed too.

The Sea Bug on auto-pilot landed near us and floated on the surface.

Where was David? Then I saw the ocean floor rise.

Aftran in her humpback whale body surfaced underneath a half-drowned Rachel and a mass of red, burnt, but shifting alien flesh. Cassie, riding atop an orca (Marco) swam next to Aftran. She stepped off of Marco and onto Aftran like she was going from a jet ski to a boat. I landed on Aftran. Toby's Sea Bug had landed and floated near us, its door open, witnessing David's struggle. Ax had demorphed and climbed into the other Sea Bug.

With Cassie's coaching, David slowly emerged in his full human form. David sat up and looked at all of us.

"Do you realize that it was **twice** in one hour that I was nearly killed by a Dracon Beam? Maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am."

Marco and I started to laugh in thought-speech. Rachel actually did start laughing. David was laughing too.

Only Cassie didn't laugh. In the moonlight, I could see her eyes well up with tears.

SMACK! Cassie had slapped David across his cheek.

"DON'T EVER do that again!" Cassie yelled, half-crying. For a second I thought she meant almost dying, but then I realized she was talking about the torture he gave Visser Three.

David looked like he might cry. He morphed into the red, flying alien creature before the tears started.

>I um, I just want to say . . . how sorry I am. For everything.> David started. >And um, thank you. All of you. Especially you, Aftran. For saving my life, I'll forgive you a hundred times for nearly destroying my home.>

>I think I've changed my mind about killing my 'fellow' yeerks.> Aftran replied.

>Everyone, that's uh . . . that's it, I guess.> David said. >I'm sorry, and thank you.>

David flew off into the night, leaving us with two Sea Bugs, presumably to get us home.

I think David finally realized what his fear and pain had turned him into, and I finally understood David's position too. In that brief horrible moment when I thought I had lost Rachel, I saw my entire world crash down. That must have been what it was like for David when he learned the truth about Stephanie.

Or was it the truth? She seemed ready to confess something before David had her silenced and then taken to the Cold Pods, whatever those were.

David was now in a delicate position, psychologically. He could either leave behind his dark side or get lost in it.

I was frightened with the prospect that David would fully embrace his dark side until Marco said something that scared me even worse.

>So, we've been gone for a full day. Who wants to explain things to Jake?>


	59. Vignettes

**_July 10, 2000 11:13 PM_**

**Rachel**

Stupid David. Why'd he have to do that?

He captured us. Trapped us in morph. Left us bound, with our feet dangling. Used us as pawns in his sick little game show. Nearly drowned us. And trapped us in a position to die.

Not to mention having a relationship with my friend Melissa behind my back!

I was perfectly happy with hating him forever.

But then he just _had_ to nearly die saving my life. Stupid David.

Toby had saved us as well. Her and Choey Najil, the old Hork-Bajir who was Visser Two's host. David freed him, and one of his first acts of freedom was remembering how to work the weapons systems of a Bug Fighter. I guess after being a host for so long, even a Hork-Bajir will learn things. Choey fired on the Carrier Ship and sent it fleeing like a coward. The Carrier Ship that held Councilor Four, Visser Three, and a Hork-Bajir-Controller named Nodnarb.

We flew home in modified Bug Fighters David called Sea Bugs. We would be landing at the Hork-Bajir valley back home soon. Then to who knows what. We'd have to find out what has happened during the day we were gone. Did our parents look for us? Did the Chee take our places?

But most of all, we wanted to avoid telling Jake anything. Not telling Jake what happened would be a great end to a crappy weekend.

We landed in the valley, waking up most of the Hork-Bajir.

Jara Hamee came running to us.

"One Sea Bug go. Two come back. Not right." Jara commented. "Toby! You've been gone a long time! Ket and I worry sick!"

"I'm sorry, Father, but we have some good news. We have liberated eight new Hork-Bajir."

"Eight? Big number. Good news, yes!" Jara said. Then he noticed the four Gedds. "You brought back Gedds."

"Yes, I hope it is all right, father."

"They have their own heads?" Jara asked.

Toby laughed. "Yes, of course."

"Then it is all right!" Jara said way too happily for someone who just woke up. Then again, with Toby gone for twenty-four hours, he might not have slept. "Gedds kinda stupid though."

That made me laugh. I looked around and I noticed a large log next to a pile of dirt that had begun to grow grass. I walked over to the log and saw that there were carvings in it. English writing.

"Here lies John Thomas Rochelli. December 20, 1970 to April 15, 2000. Loved Science and Freedom. Gave his life to the former for the later." read the carvings.

"Toby, what is this?" I asked.

"A human grave." She said. "During our raid to save the genetically mutated Hork-Bajir, this human died protecting us."

"Ok, everyone clear on their story?" Marco asked.

"Yes, Rachel and I went hiking in the woods and got lost. Again." Cassie said grumpily.

"Yes, and I having just fought with my dad and stepmom, tried to hitchhike to New York City."

"And what we're telling Jake is?" Cassie asked.

"That we were helping Toby with a raid in Maryland, and we didn't want to disturb him cause he was going to be at his grandmother's all morning." I recited.

>We could just tell Prince Jake the truth.> Ax said.

"What did we agree on?" I asked angrily. "We agreed that no matter what happened, we would never, ever, ever, tell Jake."

>NEVER EVER TELL JAKE WHAT?>

Fuck.

**_July 10, 2000 11:13 PM_**

**David**

I landed in the open hatch of the Sea Bug Bay. I demorphed from my Metracroyle morph and walked to the bridge.

Cassie slapped me. Slapped some sense into me, I guess.

I arrived at the bridge and looked around. Draconed pieces of my capture droids were strewn about. The globes I used on Visser Three. The five posts were all smashed into the floor, as was the brick. My weapons rack was busted. All my auto-shredders were destroyed, and my ship had holes in it.

_Proteus_ had Pemalite self-repairing technology, but that was going to take time. I'd have to stay in the air while Ayla fully repaired the holes in the hull. We could still fly, and I asked Ayla to fly back to California, New Jersey.

There was a lot of mending to do, and I don't just mean _Proteus_.

I looked at my third of a tattoo. 'VI'. It was appropriately one-third of my Beast Mark.

If Tobias was right, then if I had succeeded in killing Visser Three, the Empire would have sent someone else to finish the job, and now that they know that I am extremely dangerous, they would have sent someone to finish the job quickly. Open War. Total destruction.

"I nearly did it, Ayla." I finally said. "I nearly set in motion a chain of events that would have destroyed my home planet. Just as Puck said I would."

"But . . . . . . . you didn't!" Ayla supplied. That wasn't a very comforting.

I looked around my ship. I looked down at the floor. Despite the gallons upon gallons of abrasive sea water that was flowing through here, there was still the blue stain of Andalite blood.

I boasted of my ship's great power. And I greatly misused it.

What was I thinking? I was the one fated to destroy the universe. What was I thinking giving myself this mighty starship? That's like hiring a pedophile as an elementary school principal.

"_And now our host, he's just a small town boy, born in South Detroit, the one, the only: Daaaaaaavid Hunting!"_

The One. The Only. The Beast. Visser Three called me that. According to Aximili, it is a penultimate insult, only to be given to creatures who cause great trouble for the yeerks.

They gave it to Elfangor. Now they gave it to me.

I built myself up, like a great and powerful titan. I certainly don't feel great and powerful now.

"Go visit your girlfriend." Ayla suggested. "She always makes you feel better. Unless you act like an ass."

**_July 11, 2000 12:10 AM_**

**Melissa**

It was after midnight. I couldn't sleep. Last night, after we finished watching _The Matrix_, David told me he was about to do something 'big'. Something really big that could change the universe. So naturally I was scared peeless for him.

He mentioned he might be gone for a few days. That scared me even more. I begged him not to go. He said he had to. He said "Thanks to the Animorphs, it is going to start earlier than expected."

So Sunday pretty much sucked ass. I spent all day in a daze worrying about my stupid boyfriend. Stupid David.

Stupid me. Stupid me for getting worked up over a boy. Stupid me for not telling him how I really felt.

Especially since he might die.

_No! Don't think like that!_ I tell myself, but I can't help it.

I think . . . I think I lo—

TAP! TAP! >Melissa?>

I hopped out of bed and ran to my window. I opened it up and a small robin flew into my room and turned into my boyfriend.

As soon as I saw him I practically tackled him, I needed to hug him so badly. I held him very tight and he held me. I waited for him to make a silly joke about not being able to breathe. When he didn't I knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Uh . . . lots." He said, removing his trench coat and taking off his sneakers. Good, that means he wants to stay for a while.

"Did someone die?"

"Just some yeerks. Nothing big." He said. He almost sounded relived.

Then he did something I didn't expect. He started crying.

So I held him. I held him until he didn't cry anymore. When he stopped crying, I still held him. We talked. I made him laugh. David laughing is better than David crying, but I'll take him anyway I can get him.

We held each other. I didn't want to let go. So I kissed him and I led him to my bed and we held each other through the night.

Ok, I just want to clarify: we did NOT have sex. No sex. None! Ok, there may have been some "touching". On both sides. Of us. But no sex! Hymen still totally intact here!

Um, anyways, I woke up the next morning to my dad knocking on my door.

"Melissa? Honey?" my father said.

I woke up, then freaked, because I realized David was still asleep next to me. My doorknob began to turn.

"Don't open the door, Dad! I'm naked!" I say quickly.

I wasn't naked, but I certainly can't have my father walking in and seeing my boyfriend asleep in my bed. Plus, my dad's kind of a yeerk. And my boyfriend kind of . . . . fights them.

"Well get . . .not naked." My father sputtered. "There's someone here to see you."

"Who?"

"Jake. From school."

Oh crap.

I woke David up. He made a loud noise as he awoke and I told him to shush. "David," I whispered, "Jake's here."

"Wha?" He said, coming to full awakeness.

"I have to get dressed. Put your shoes and coat on and morph something small." I said as I picked out a cute outfit. I was about to take my nightgown off, when I felt David's eyes on me. I looked at him and he was grinning sheepishly.

And then I took my nightgown off.

**_July 11, 2000 12:33 PM_**

**Jake**

I was waiting for maybe ten minutes before Melissa came to the door. I knew it was a huge security risk, but it was small potatoes compared to the shit David pulled.

_The David Hunting Show_. I couldn't fucking believe him.

I couldn't believe my fellow Animorphs either. One, for going on this crazy outing. Two, for trying to lie to me about it. Like I wouldn't hear about it if Rachel, Cassie, _and_ Marco were all missing in the morning. Like Jara wouldn't tell me that Toby and five other Hork-Bajir left with them. Like the Chee wouldn't show me David's pirate signal.

Melissa showed up at the door, wearing a nice blue shirt with a big pink heart on it and short green skirt.

"Um . . . Jake . . . Rachel's cousin, right? What's up?" She said, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.

"Yeah, uh, I was just in the neighborhood. Sorry to wake you so early in the _afternoon_," I said sarcastically. She looked inside her house suddenly with a confused and unbelieving look on her face, I guess to check the time, "but I need to speak with your boyfriend."

"My . . . um . . . my boyfriend?" Melissa asked very nervously. "I . . . uh . . . I don't have a boyfriend."

"You, ah, don't see that Terry guy anymore?" I asked.

"No. That whole relationship kinda went _down_. I mean, totally _down_." She said as she made down motions with her hands. "I mean I thought he was serious, but he was just pulling my _leg_."

Down. Leg.

I looked down at her leg and a brown recluse spider crawled down her leg from underneath her skirt.

I didn't even want to _think_ about what that implied.

The spider crawled off of Melissa's leg and crawled onto mine. I was wearing jeans, so I didn't have to feel David's creepy legs all over me.

"Yeah, so, I'm sorry to _bug_ you, and maybe I'll see you sometime at Rachel's house."

"Yeah. Totally." She said. She began to close the front door of her house when she mouthed the words "Don't hurt him" before shutting it.

I began to walk to the bus stop bench.

_Don't hurt him. Like anything could hurt the great David Hunting._ I thought bitterly and sarcastically.

>So, um, should you start or should I?>

I ignored him. I got to the bench and David had crawled all the way above my knee. I sat down and picked David up and put him between me and the old woman also sitting on the bench.

The air shimmered as the android Chee extended its hologram to encompass me and the wayward former Animorph.

"It's safe now." I said.

>Is it?> David cryptically asked as he demorphed. When he was fully demorphed he was standing on top of the bench. David jumped down and sat down next to me.

"How many times are we going to be having this conversation?"

"Which conversation is that?"

I punched the area of bench between us. I was in no mood for his bullshit.

"I'll just take a stab in the dark then." David said. "Let's see, could it be the one where you say 'If you use your powers for personal use with questionable motives, you're danger to us and you're against what we stand for.' That one?"

"Yeah, that one."

"I don't know, but I'm really hoping this could be the last time."

"So do I, David. Yet every time we do this, you go and do something worse than before."

"I said I was sorry."

"I know. Cassie believes you. And you must know that even you can't fool Cassie."

"You know she slapped me."

I chuckled. I did know that. Still makes me laugh.

"I know you're sorry, David, but I can't help but feel that some time down the road you're going to be apologizing for something else. Something worse."

"I'm not your enemy."

"That's another thing I'd like to believe, and yet, I just have this bad feeling like I'm going to have to go to war against you."

"Then why don't we skip the war and go straight to the treaty."

"A treaty? You mean, if I do something, you'll do something."

"No. I _will_ do something and you _will_ do something. No ifs. If one of us feels the other is not fulfilling the terms, then we'll revisit the terms."

"What are the terms?"

"The terms? I will not use _Proteus_ or any of her resources in an offensive manner except in cases of galactic security."

"Give me a 'for instance'."

"Like say, some one finds the Time Matrix and takes it off world."

"Ok. That's acceptable. What do I do?"

"You, the other Animorphs, and any of your allies except me, will leave Melissa Chapman alone. You will not attempt to recruit her. You will not talk to her about me or anything yeerk-war-related. You will not ask her about me or anything yeerk-war-related, and you will certainly never go to her house, looking for me ever again."

And there it was. One possibly huge security risk stood between me and peace with David.

"What happens if they try to take her?" I ask.

"I pity anyone who goes after the important people in my life, looking for trouble, but for what reason if I'm not around, you should probably do what you have to do."

I had the distinct feeling that 'important people' included us. David always said he was an ally to us, but that always sounded like empty words to me. Nearly giving his life for Rachel's was definitely an action that spoke louder. "Ok." I said.

"Do we shake on it?"

"Sure" I said as I shook his hand. "Fair warning though, if you break her heart, Rachel _will_ kill you."

**_July 11, 2000 1:08 PM_**

**David**

I had promised never to use _Proteus_ offensively except in cases of absolute necessity. And Jake promised to leave Melissa alone. I had told Tobias that I wasn't good with compromise, but I figured the best way to learn how was with promises. Seventy percent of compromise is promise, and I was nothing if not a man of my word.

In robin morph, I flew away from our peace conference feeling better about things. I never told them, but I always did depend on the Animorphs as a check against me and my ambitions. Cassie, Aximili, and Tobias mostly, but even Jake, Rachel, and Marco had at some point or another kept me from doing things I would have regretted.

As I flew closer to Melissa's house, I noticed Mr. and Mrs. Chapman getting into their car and leaving Melissa alone.

I flew to Melissa's window sill, and tapped on the window. She saw me and let me in.

"My parents are gone."

>I know, I saw them leave.> I said as I demorphed.

"What did Jake want?"

"To talk to me about things. He wasn't happy about what I did."

I could tell Melissa didn't like that I was being vague, but she let it go. "He knows about me."

"Yes, but I took care of that. They won't try to recruit you."

Melissa stood in front of the window and the sunlight shone in her pale blond hair. She was beautiful. Beautiful in a different way than Stephanie.

She noticed me starring at her. "What? Am I naked again?" She asked, teasing me.

"No, I just . . . . . I'm so lucky to have you in my life right now. Especially last night."

She smiled at me and came over to hug me. "Glad to have helped."

"You don't think I'm a total loser now?" I asked.

"What? Just because you cried in front of me?" Melissa asked. Then in joking tone, "You men always have to be so macho all the time."

Naturally, the only intelligent and logical response to that was to tickle her.

For someone so tiny, she's freakishly strong. Not as strong as I was, but still. She pushed me as she laughed involuntarily. I reeled back and sat down on that thing at the foot of her bed she called a 'hope chest', pulling Melissa down with me. She landed on my lap, so she sat on my right leg, draping her legs over my left leg. I caressed her cheek as she put her arms around me. We kissed each other deeply. We stopped for air and she looked into my eyes.

"I love you." She said.

Totally wasn't expecting that. I think I sat there like a deer in headlights. I wasn't sure if I should say anything, least of all 'I love you, too.'

I wasn't sure that I _loved _her, which probably meant I didn't. I mean, it wasn't the same way I felt for Stephanie.

Hmmmm.

I lifted Melissa off me and she stood up. I stood up and looked out the window.

"David?" Melissa called.

"I want to tell you something." I finally said, turning to look at her.

She looked down at the ground. "Don't say if you don't mean it."

"Not that." I said as I walked to her bed and sat down. This was going to take a while.

Melissa sat down on the bed with me, facing me. I fidgeted, not quite knowing where to start. Melissa grabbed my hand and held it, and I found my strength again.

"When I lived in Georgia, I had a girlfriend. Her name was Stephanie."

**_July 11, 2000 1:24 PM_**

**Tobias**

I was harried. The human in me wanted to sleep, but the hawk in me wouldn't allow that while the sun was up, and since it's mid-July, the sun won't set for another eight hours. So I decided to keep my strength up with lunch.

A chipmunk had ventured away from its home. He wasn't even aware of me until I screamed my red-tail screamed. I snatched him up with my talons and ate him.

When I returned to my tree, I saw a falcon shifting into a human.

Jake was here.

I landed next to him and began my morph to human. When Jake finished his demorph, I was still morphing and he politely waited for me.

When I was fully human, he looked at me for awhile and chuckled.

"You know, I have hard time thinking of you as that boy I met with his head in the toilet." Jake finally said.

I laughed at the memory that seemed several lifetimes ago.

"So how'd it go?" I ask.

"Uh, good. Better than I expected actually. He seems really ashamed at what he did."

"Well, Cassie _did_ slap him."

Jake laughed. "That part never gets old. He agreed not use his ship offensively unless, there's some sort of direct interplanetary threat to us."

"You trust his judgment on what constitutes a 'direct interplanetary threat'?"

"I do." Jake replied, sounding surprised at his own answer. "I think you are right, Tobias. David wouldn't do anything to hurt us. Intentionally."

"He'll keep his promise." I reassured him.

"I know he will. I promised not to do anything about Melissa."

"How do you feel about that?"

"A little worried, actually." He admitted. "His exact terms were that we couldn't recruit her, talk or ask her about him or the yeerk war, or look for _him_ at her house."

He didn't have to say anything else. He wanted me to periodically check to make sure Chapman didn't take her.

Jake looked like he wanted to say something else, "If I'm not available to lead for whatever reason, Tobias, I want you to lead the team."

>What!> I sputtered. I was so surprised by what Jake said that I forgot how to speak and used thought-speech instead. I finally remembered how to use my clumsy mouth. "Me? Uh . . . I'm honored, but I don't think I'm qualified."

"You understand leadership. After all, you said from day one that I had to be the leader." Jake reminded me. It was weird; David said the same thing to me once. "You got the great leader heritage, and you did pretty good in there, and don't tell her I said this, but better than Rachel did."

"But I got everyone captured." I said.

"You got everyone _detained_ by one of our allies. And even if David was our enemy, he doesn't like to kill except in certain circumstances, so getting captured by him is a great deal safer than the yeerks."

"I was a total failure."

"No, the _mission_ was a total failure, and let's just review some of our first missions in my command: One, we go into the Yeerk pool, you get trapped in morph, and we nearly get killed by Visser Three. Two, we spy on Chapman, Rachel gets captured, and we nearly get killed by Visser Three. Three, we get trapped in a Yeerk truck ship, and we nearly get killed by Visser Three."

"All right, I see your point."

"I'll tell the others when we next meet, assuming you accept the position." Jake said presenting his hand to me.

I sighed. My head said that I couldn't do it. But my heart . . . . .

I shook Jake's hand. "I accept."

**_July 11, 2000 3:21 PM_**

**David**

It took a long time, but I explained everything to her. About Stephanie and Sub-Visser five-hundred-nine. The night I lost my virginity. The messages she would send me. And finally, my temporary resolution. She was a little worried. She didn't like the idea that I had my ex-girlfriend in my ship. I told her there's nothing to worry about.

I realized I hadn't checked on the Cold Pods to make sure everything was all right. When I returned to _Proteus_ I asked Ayla about the conditions of the Cold Pods.

"100 percent success. The new tenants have been perfectly preserved in the Cold Pods."

"I want to see for myself." I said as I made my way to the lower deck to where the Cold Pod Room was.

I never explained to the Animorphs what the Cold Pods were. The Cold Pods were modified technology from the Andalites and the Pemalites.

Cryogenic freezing technology.

I had 144 pods. The first one held Hildy Gervais who I captured two days ago in front of the Animorphs. The second one was the temporary home of the leopard I had stolen from a zoo in London. I didn't like the idea of keeping him in there, so I resolved to figure out an alternative. I already had a few ideas involving Pemalite technology.

The other ten pods being used held three Gedds and seven more humans.

"Which one has Stephanie?" I ask Ayla.

"Pod 6." She responded.

I placed my hand on the blue cover of the pod. Cryogenically frozen, the yeerks wouldn't use up Kandrona, so they'll still be alive when I unfreeze them.

If I ever do.

I rubbed my hand on Stephanie's pod. "How collectable."

Councilor Four

The Empire's tendencies to cycle Blue Band Hork-Bajir had finally worked against me. I'm bad with names and faces, and for a yeerk, both of which have a tendency to change. I barely learned the names of the Hork-Bajir working for me before they were either killed or reassigned. So when the Morph-Human and another Andalite impersonated themselves as my Hork-Bajir Blue Bands, I did not even realize it until it was too late.

Luckily, at my instance, one Hork-Bajir has always stood by side. Nodnarb three-nine-five.

He rescued me and helped me rescue Esplin nine-four-double-six. Or Visser Three now.

Esplin. I never liked him. It annoyed me that he couldn't take care of the five or six andalite bandits that plague him. And even though I was present when David sabotaged the androids Esplin bought from the Dayangs, I wasn't convinced of his claim that this morph-capable human youth was the most dangerous of them all.

I know now that I was wrong. I was famous for my methods of torture, and what David did to Esplin is no worse than what I did to various S-s-stram, Andalites, or even Gervasids.

However, the purpose of my torture was to get information. I tortured for a strategic purpose. David tortured Esplin for humiliation and for the sake of cruelty, which increased the heinousness of the act hundredfold.

Using the underground network, we returned to the New England Yeerk Pool. I sent a brief message to the other councilors telling them I wanted to wait to give my report until I was in more secure location.

Wild varnex couldn't keep me on this rock.

Before I left, I asked to see the Visser in private. He met me on the bridge of my Carrier ship, away from the eyes of his subordinates.

Nodnarb was there as well, preparing for the flight. David had taken my seven Gedd-controller servants and my five other Hork-Bajir Blue Bands, leaving only myself and Nodnarb to fly the ship.

>Yes, Councilor? You wished to speak to me?> Esplin started.

"Yes, Visser, I just wanted to say that you did good withstanding the torture. A lesser yeerk would have cracked and surrendered."

Esplin's andalite tail noticeably twitched. It's what happens when Andalites are struggling to contain a sudden burst of emotion. And neither Esplin nor his host Alloran the Butcher where known for controlling their tempers.

"I'm going to recommend the Council of Thirteen to extend the suspension of your death sentence by a least another year."

>Thank you.> Esplin said. >And what of my plan? Can I now begin the destruction of Terra Firma's cities? You know how dangerous humans can be. You promised the Morph-human you would do that.>

"You know that was a bluff, Esplin. It was my vain attempt to get him to stop hurting you." I explained. "Open War on Terra Firma is out of the question. We cannot afford to pull resources from the Garatron and Anati Seizure Campaigns.

"Our forces are starting to be spread thin: there are rebellions starting everywhere! More human-controllers are overpowering their yeerk captors, and this is spreading hope across our empire like a disease. And the recent travesty committed against you can only prove the dangers of giving humans access to advanced technology. Open war will only increase the chance of that happening."

Esplin seemed to accept my response.

"I am giving you new orders though. When you encounter the Andalite bandits you will still attempt to capture and infest them, but if you come across the morph-human . . . ."

>Yes?> the Visser asked anxiously. >What?>

"I need the full Council's approval for this, but until then I'm invoking emergency powers to issue this command: If you encounter David Hunting, do not attempt to capture him."

>What shall I do instead?> the Visser asked, already wishing for and anticipating the answer I was going to give him.

"Terminate. With extreme prejudice."

>It will be done.> Esplin said with satisfied zeal in his thought-speech.

"You are dismissed, Visser Three."

The Visser left my ship and I left Terra Firma, hoping never to return again.

As we translated into Z-space, Nodnarb finally spoke.

"What was it you didn't tell him?" Nodnarb asked.

He knows me too well. "David Hunting had technology on that ship I had never seen before. The depths of human cunning and cruelty is something we're only now beginning to understand. Their physical frailty contrasts greatly with their resilience and seemingly boundless spirit. With everything at David Hunting's disposal he may be to strong for any Yeerk to defeat."

"Is there no one who can defeat David Hunting?"

"There may be someone. A bounty hunter. My host has memories of his cruelty and it seems to be a match for Hunting's. Plus, even without my host's memories, his reputation is quite infamous."

"Councilor, you can't possible mean—" Nodnarb protested, but I cut him off.

"Get me Tak Sistranus!"


	60. Bonehead von Buffalo the Good

A character is going to be introduced who will speak in mostly thought-speech. Since FFN decided to be difficult, we can no longer use the canonically established thought-speech punctuation, many Animorph fan-fiction writers have taken to using ( and ) for Thought-speech.

I however use parentheses in my normal style so that might get confusing. However Brackets and Fancy brackets don't work either so I'm kinda out of options. This bites.

Getting it like this: >Watch Out!> takes a lot of work, I have to first write it like this #Watch Out!# and the replace all the #'s with >'s in the FFN editor. So I'm breaking down but still being different and using double parentheses, (( and )) for thought-speech.

Tell me which you like better.

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_**July 20, 2000 7:48 PM**_

So, my girlfriend and I were making out. We do that a lot. I wasn't wearing a shirt. She wasn't wearing one either. Or a bra.

Melissa's very petite and small. In that way. So she rarely wears a bra anyway.

And I guess to me, size doesn't matter. I'm not gonna be a pig and compare them to others I've seen. I'll just say I like them. I like them just fine.

Moreover, I liked the feeling of her skin on mine.

She was on top of me at the moment which was a change of pace. Fitting, since she was being really aggressive today.

It had been a little over a week since she told me she loved me. She didn't say it so I would respond with an empty "I love you", but because she actually loved me.

While it, of course, made me feel good, it also made me feel . . . bad. I didn't love her, and she knew that, but I think in her head she thinks that someday I will love her.

But I'm not sure I ever will.

However, I couldn't think about that now. Not when I have a beautiful, half-naked, nymph-like beauty in my arms with eyes that are hauntingly grey, and a touch that is delicate and firm at the same time.

But like I said we were making out. Heavily. I think we ceased having separate tongues a few minutes ago. My hands were caressing her smooth back, while hers were grasping my ribs.

Her lips departed mine and quickly latched themselves to my neck. Turnabout being fair play, I started nibbling on her earlobe which I knew drives her craaaaazy. Her hands slipped to my sides between my waist and ribs. While I nibbled, she squeezed my sides, moaning slightly.

And then her hands went further down to the waist of my jeans. She turned her eyes to me, and I was immobilized by her haunting grey eyes.

I didn't exactly give her permission. I didn't exactly stop her either.

She undid the top button of my jeans. And then she started to lower my zipper.

The front door downstairs opened and closed. Someone had come home.

"Melissa? Are you here?" yelled up Mrs. Chapman.

Melissa snapped out of her passion and released my jeans from her grasp. She quickly grabbed a shirt and put it on while I zipped up my jeans.

Truthfully, I was relieved. I wasn't sure I wanted to go that far with Melissa. Ok, sure, a very loud part of me wanted to very, very, very, very much; I mean, it's not like I lost my penis or something. And the idea of sex with a gymnast is almost too tempting to pass up, but still . . . .

"Yeah, I'm here, what's up, Mom?" She called.

"Can I come in?" Mrs. Chapman said on the other side of the door.

Melissa flashed me a look, but I couldn't find my shirt. I was already on my way to spider morph with or without it. I chose my smallest of my five spider morphs: the Barn Spider.

She opened the door and Mrs. Chapman entered her room.

I couldn't see that well, but I could feel the vibrations of the floor.

"Honey," Mrs. Chapman said in tone of false love. "Your father is in the hospital right now."

"What happened?"

"He was attacked by a buffalo."

"What?"

"The Gardens was transporting the animal and it escaped right in the middle of the road and attacked every person in sight, including your father." Explained Mrs. Chapman. "He has some swelling in his brain, but the doctors are going to fix that. Other than that, he just has a few line fractures and some severe bruising, but he's okay. Your father can be pretty tough."

"A buffalo?" Melissa repeated.

"Yeah. We're officially no longer sending money to the African Wildlife Preservation Society." Mrs. Chapman chuckled, and then seemed to waver. "Why are you wearing an AC/DC shirt?"

What? I looked around with spider eyes, and I could see the blouse that Melissa was wearing was crumpled up on the floor. Next to my trench coat.

"Ummmm," Melissa stammered, "it was my boyfriend's. He gave it to me. So I could have something that smells like him."

"Uh-huh." Said Mrs. Chapman, whose voice was getting more and more suspicious. "And is this _his_ trench coat that's crumpled up on the floor next to the blouse you were wearing today?"

"Yeah . . . um, he gave it to me, uh, cause of the rain."

"It didn't rain today."

"There . . . . was a light drizzle . . . up in the mountains. Where we were."

If I had a head I could hang in exasperation, I would.

"Are you okay, Mom? Your face is twitching." Melissa asked.

"I'm fine dear. Is there a boy in here?"

"MOM!"

"A yes or no will be fine."

"NO! Jeezzzz!"

"Just checking, you know you've been acting suspicious lately."

"How nice of you to notice." Melissa replied sarcastically.

((Don't start a fight!)) I yelled at her.

"Excuse me, young lady?" Mrs. Chapman replied. "Your father's in the hospital, and you're giving me attitude?"

"You're the one freaking out over nothing!" Melissa yelled back.

"You need to get your priorities straight! You're grounded!"

"What!"

"For two weeks."

"I'm almost 16. I'm not a child anymore."

"I'm going to the hospital to stay with your father, it'd be nice for his only child to come and show some concern."

"Not like you show guys show any concern." Melissa mouthed off again.

((Melissa!)) I berated.

SMACK! I heard the sound of skin hitting skin. Mrs. Chapman had slapped Melissa!

I was about ready to demorph and overreact, but then I heard the controller say, "You little BRAT! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I HAVE DONE FOR THE TWO OF YOU!" Mrs. Chapman was practically shrieking.

(('Two of you'?)) I repeated incredulously.

Then in much more controlled tone of voice. "I want you to stay here and think about that while I stay with your injured father."

Mrs. Chapman left the room and I crawled out from under the bed. I slowly demorphed as to not startle Melissa. She was still holding her cheek with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Her face kept twitching, like someone was fighting her inside, and then, when she slapped me, she sounded like how my mother was."

"What do you mean 'how she was'? What did she me mean by the 'two of you'?" I asked.

"Me and my brother." She answered.

"You have a brother?"

"_Had_ a brother." Melissa said solemnly. "He died five years ago. My mother went a little crazy after that. But then about three years later she and Dad decided to join The Sharing. You know, to get her out and about again. For a while, it didn't seem to help any, but then all of the sudden she was normal again. But then it was as if they didn't care about me anymore."

Melissa turned to me. "That's when it happened, didn't it? That's when they became controllers?"

It made sense now. Rachel told me that Melissa's mother was a voluntary controller, and her father also became voluntary after that to protect Melissa. It all made sense. Her mother was so distraught after losing her son, she accepts yeerk control, and her husband having lost a son to death and his wife to aliens, couldn't lose his daughter too. So he accepts yeerk control as well.

"What was his name?" I ask as I put on my trench coat. I decided to leave her the shirt.

"Zachary. Zach." Melissa remembered as she wiped tears from her eyes and changed the subject. "So, buffalo, huh? A real one?"

"Yeah friggin right." I say as I morph into a golden eagle.

"Wait, you're leaving?" Melissa asked. "No, you can't leave me alone right now! Please, don't!"

((Melissa, I have to check on them, make sure they've got the situation under control.))

"Don't leave me! Don't leave me, please!" Melissa pleaded pulling inappropriately on my wing. I fought down the raptor instincts to bite her. "Take me with you!"

((What? No way, dear!))

"Why not?"

((Look, sweetie, something could happen. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you.)) I said. ((That, and Rachel would kill me.))

"David! You're taking me with you and that's final!" She insisted, stomping her foot like a five-year-old. Stephanie used to do that.

((Fine.)) I said as I demorphed, "and you've certainly taken your aggression pills this morning."

She puts her arms around me and kisses me deeply. "Thank you."

"I hope this how you plan to end all our arguments." I say as I grab and squeeze her ass, just cause I could.

Her eyes go wide in pleasurable surprise.

We leave her house, despite her mother's proviso that she not, through the back door.

"Okay, try not freak out." I warn her. I only had one morph that could possibly carry her to _Proteus_. I began my morph to Metracroyle. Red wings popped out of my back and my legs doubled and turned into four large talons. I grew a long, but wispy bifurcated tail. My arms shrunk into my expanding chest and finally my face elongated into the long and sharp beak of the Metracroyle.

Melissa hadn't screamed, which surprised me. She did however start trembling and shaking.

((What?)) I ask.

"Uh. I. Uh. We've talked about aliens, but I've-I've-I've never seen one till like right now." She stammers.

((Yeah, it's a kick in the head, ain't it?)) I saw as I flap my wings and begin to lift myself slowly into the air. I get high enough and my two back talons grab Melissa lightly by her tiny shoulders.

"Whoa!" She said as we lifted off. It was a short flight, mostly vertical to the cloaked hatch of _Proteus_. It had been mostly repaired by this time, and I took the opportunity to give it a 'paint job' though it didn't ever involve actually paint. _Proteus_ was now a cool dark blue.

We entered _Proteus_, and I set her down, landed, and demorphed.

"So this is your ship?" She asked.

"Yep, home sweet home." I said. "This is the Sea Bug Bay. Basically it houses all of my modified Yeerk Bug Fighters. I have ten. I've given two to the free Hork-Bajir."

"They're green."

"Yes, to distinguish them from their oily, black Bug Fighter cousins." I explained.

"David, there's a yeerk-controlled helicopter moving in this direction. What's she doing here!" Ayla rudely asked.

"Be nice, Ayla."

"Who's that?" Melissa asked about the voice that came from the ship.

"That is Ayla, she's a sentient computer program with an ego almost as big as mine. She's an invaluable ally and a good friend."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, David Hunting." Ayla coyly replied.

"What's the latest planet-side Yeerk activity, Ayla?" I asked.

"This yeerk-controlled helicopter I just warned you about is the latest planet-side Yeerk activity. It seems to be flying around everywhere in inexplicable patterns. Bug Fighters seemed to be accompanying it at certain points."

"Can you silently track it and tell me what it's doing?"

"You mean follow?"

"If that'll be more efficient."

"On my way, Captain! It may take awhile before I can form a decent theory as to the helicopter's movement. You may want to do something else to pass the time. Have fun, you two." Ayla replied lecherously.

"Ayla . . . ." I said, knowing that she wouldn't answer. One, she was focusing her computing power on the yeerk helicopter. Two, she simply just liked to piss me off.

"Well, I guess I could give you the tour." I said.

"Is this one of those tours that ends in your private quarters, _Captain_?" Melissa asked me coyly.

"Ayla was just being cute. I've never asked her to call me that."

I let Melissa to the Yeerk Pool room. I hadn't realized she had never seen any aliens. I figured it was time she met the enemy.

We entered the Yeerk Pool Room and instantly Melissa's eyes were fixed on the sludgy pool in the center of the room.

"David, is this . . ." Melissa began to ask.

"Yes." I replied.

"They look like slugs. These are the things that live in my parents' heads?"

"Yes."

"Can I pick one up?"

"Don't hurt them. A condition of their surrender was my promise to keep them safe."

Melissa tentatively put her hand in the pool and grabbed one of nine I had captured. Impossible to tell who.

I had been idealistic when nine of the fifteen controllers I had captured chose fealty to me rather than death. When I scanned their memories, I was disappointed to find that most of them surrendered not because they believed in the vague picture of a new yeerk empire I painted for them, but because they just didn't want to die. One of them, Mahou nine-nine-three, who was one of Visser Two's bodyguards, did plan on starting a mutiny and betraying me, but when he realized that I would know about it, he seemed to give up the idea and resigned to living the rest of his life as a blind slug. One yeerk, Delhis zero-zero-double-one lesser, a former Gedd-controller, really did believe in my vision. He even included in his private thoughts a message to me, saying that he'll do anything to stop the Yeerk War, if it meant not slaughtering his fellow yeerks by the poolful, like the andalites have planned. He even told me (unnecessarily since I could read it in his memories) that his twin was on the Council of Thirteen. He didn't know which councilor he was, though.

She lifted up whomever she grabbed out of the water.

"They really don't look like much, do they? They're actually not as revolting as I thought they'd be by looking at them. Their skin feels less like slug and more like a wet inner tube. Plastic-y even."

It was weird. I expected her to instantly hate the yeerks like the Animorphs did. Of course, the Animorphs first heard of the yeerks from a dying Andalite Prince named Elfangor and later from his brother Aximili, so naturally there's some bias there. I didn't hate the yeerks, (certain yeerks maybe) so Melissa didn't hate them either. She didn't inherit any bias, even though they have personally caused her much harm.

I guess it was the way I explained them to her.

"It must be horrible to live like this. To face either a life time of nothing or a lifetime of hearing the cries of a sentient captive. I don't think I could stand living with people screaming in my head all the time. I'd go crazy." Melissa said.

No hate. Sympathy even. She impressed me so much.

I guess I was smiling-staring at her again. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just so . . . . . wonderful." I said. _Ecch. Why am I so mushy?_

She smiled and chuckled to me. "You're not evil, are you?" she said to the yeerk as if it were a puppy.

"You know you should probably put it back. If they aren't inside the yeerk pool or on top of a brain, they don't want to be there."

Melissa put her hand underwater and released the yeerk.

"Let's go somewhere that isn't so depressing." I said.

I led her to the conservatory. I think the room was intended as a lab because it was nearly as big as the Sea Bug Bay. I filled it to one side with trees from Columbia and installed a lawn for Megadeth to play around in. Because I missed having a snake as a pet, I picked up a Boa Constrictor, coincidentally enough, called a Red-tailed boa. I named him Hellboy.

Hellboy and Megadeth both ate pre-thawed frozen rats which Ayla fed them at the appropriate time. Many times, though, if I'm on the ship, I'll do it myself. Megadeth and Hellboy seem to get along with each other. Hellboy is a great deal mellower than Spawn was and Megadeth was used to living with snakes, so he didn't seem to mind living with Hellboy.

But when Melissa entered the conservatory and the first thing she saw was Hellboy peaking at her behind a tree she jumped.

"He's not gonna hurt you." I reassured her.

"What is this?" She asked.

"I call it a conservatory, but I'm thinking of renaming it to 'The Jungle Room'. Megadeth's here too. Megadeth?"

"What's Megadeth? An alligator?"

"No, he's my cat." I said laughing.

"You have a cat? What kind?"

I knew next to nothing about cat breeds. "I don't know; the fat and mean kind."

Megadeth ran out of the trees and into the open grass. He was playing with a mouse-sized hovering robot I built for him to chase. Unfortunately, the hovering robot went near a garden Ayla and I had just planted and so naturally, Megadeth went trampling after it.

"Megadeth!" I shouted in protest. "That cat never listens. Just does what he wants, without listening to me at all."

"Yeah that must be annoying." She said giving me a knowing glare.

I poked her playfully in the side and she playfully hit me.

"Oh wow, a waterfall!" Melissa said, spotting the little bathtub-sized lake in the corner of the Conservatory.

Yeah, 'The Jungle room' sounds better.

Anyways, she looked at my miniature 'waterfall' which was a common decoration in Captain's quarters on Andalite ships.

"This room's nice!" she said. "Outdoorsy, but no bugs. Pretty surroundings." She took my hand and started fiddling with my fingers.

She does that when she wants to snuggle, but doesn't want to say it. I guess her aggression pills wore off.

I kiss her softly on her lips and then not so softly. Soon we're once again making out, only in much more romantic surroundings.

So naturally Ayla had to ruin it.

"David?" Ayla prompted, but was ignored. "David? Daaaaaaviiiiiiiiid?"

I reluctantly pulled my lips away from Melissa. "Yes, Ayla, what?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your heavy petting session, but I can now theorize with 98 percent certainty the purpose of the yeerk-controlled helicopter."

"Well?"

"It seems the Yeerks have repaired and modified the Helmacron Ship and is using it to track morphing energy."

"That's why they showed up at my house. It detected you." Melissa rationalized. I was shocked that she figured that out so quickly.

"Wait, the helmacron ship . . . ." I tried to remember. "They not only can track Animorphs, they can track the Escafil device as well!"

"If they get their hands on that, that'll be major suck-age!" Ayla said.

"Escafil device?" Melissa asked.

"It's what can give people morphing powers." I explained.

"The Helicopter also has a Dracon Cannon on board." Ayla reported.

"All right, first, we have to drop Melissa off back home, and then find the Animorphs."

"Drop me off?" Melissa repeated. "We don't have time for that!"

"You're not coming with me!"

"She's right, David. We don't have time." Ayla said.

I grumbled "Fine, but you're staying in here." I said as I left the Jungle Room. "Ayla? Where's the Anti-Drac Field Shield?"

"In the Machine Room. You haven't tested it yet."

"No time like the present. Have a droid bring it to me in the Bug Bay."

I got to the bug bay and a droid handed me a metallic rod. The Anti-Drac Field Shield or ADFS was copied Korla technology. When I activate it, it should produce a dome-shaped energy force field that blocks Dracon Beams. Here's hoping.

"The Helicopter seems to be heading at full speed toward a point."

"Go ahead of them and see if you can figure out where they're going."

"I see in the middle of some trees an African Cape Buffalo and Cassie currently morphing into an osprey."

"Her morphing's drawing the Helicopter. It's gonna blow them to bits! Cassie might be fine, but whoever that Cape Buffalo is will be screwed. Get over their position. When I give the signal, open the belly hatch. I'll fall with ADFS and flash-morph to spider, and then demorph and activate it."

"What if you lose the ADFS in the fall during the morph?"

"Just trust me." I said.

"Why don't _I_ drop it?" said a voice. Melissa was standing behind me.

"Melissa, I told you to—" Melissa gave me an 'I am woman hear me roar'-look she most certainly picked up from Rachel. "I don't know why I even bother. Fine." I said as I morphed to spider. This time, I choose the Wolf Spider.

I crawled up Melissa's leg and made my way to her shoulder.

"The Helicopter will reach the Animorphs in 43 seconds. 42 . . . . 41 . . . . . ."

((Open Hatch.)) I commanded as I crawled across Melissa's arm to the ADFS rod in her hand. The belly hatch opened over some trees.

"38 . . . . . . 37 . . . ." Ayla counted down.

((Drop me!)) I commanded.

I felt myself fall. As long as the ADFS rod remained upright, my plan would work, but there was always the chance that it would tip over in mid-air.

TWANG! The vibration told me that we had landed. I flash-demorphed and activated the rod. Just in time, as I saw a discolored Dracon Beam hit my yellowish energy shield and deflect. I looked around within my dome shield. I saw only whoever was in the Cape Buffalo morph. I didn't see Cassie in osprey morph.

I morphed into 'Terry Stevens'. ((Ayla! Project a hologram of some destruction. Pick us up!))

I looked at the Cape buffalo. ((I don't know which one you are, but some 'thanks' would be nice.))

The Cape buffalo just looked at me.

I felt myself get lifted up by _Proteus_'s tractor beam. I and the Animorph giving me the silent treatment were lifted into the ship. We landed on our feet (or hooves) away from the hatch.

"You're back!" Melissa said. "And you're Terry!"

((Sometimes it's handy to have thought-speech.)) I explain. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know." She said wincing. "It kinda feels like I'm looking at an ex-boyfriend. Who's that?" She asked about the buffalo.

"I don't know. He's being anti-social. Demorph; it's all right."

Just before the belly hatch closed, an osprey zoomed in. ((David? Is the buffalo with you?)) Cassie asked me.

"Yes, he or she is being very mysterious and won't demorph."

The osprey landed and demorphed. ((No, David, you don't understand.)) Cassie became mostly human. "The Buffalo is –"

"AAAAAAH!" Melissa screamed pointing at the buffalo demorphing into human.

"Melissa," I say trying to soothe her, "relax. It's just another one of the Animorphs."

"NO! Look! It's my father!"

I looked at the shifting buffalo and it was Chapman.

"What the fuck!" I exclaimed. "Chapman can morph?"

"No. That's what I'm trying to say." Cassie started.

"That's not my father!" Melissa insisted.

"Chapman's not morphing the buffalo. The buffalo is morphing Chapman!" Cassie revealed.

"What?" was all I could muster to say.

"This buffalo touched the cube and got the morphing power. It acquired your father." She explained while acknowledging for the first time that Melissa was there.

Melissa stayed where she was as I inched closer to the Buffalo-man. ((What did you do?)) I asked Cassie in thought-speech, too horrified at this mockery of nature to speak conventionally.

"It was an accident." was all Cassie supplied, standing next to me in sorrow.

The Buffalo-man made alarming sounds.

"David, watch out!" Melissa yelled.

I turned around in the direction the Buffalo-man was yelling.

STAB! Something went through my chest! I looked down and there was Cassie with insect mouthparts coming out of her mouth. One of her mouthparts had stabbed through my chest.

_Wait, this isn't Cassie. Cassie is on my other side._

The Buffalo-man rammed his head into the Insecta-Cassie. Insecta-Cassie stumbled back, her mouthpart breaking off and staying in my chest. Insecta-Cassie flung one of her half-insect, half-human arms into the Buffalo-man's head, knocking him aside.

TSSEEWWW! Shredder flash! Insecta-Cassie's arm disintegrated.

I turned slowly to see the source of the flash.

Melissa had fired the shredder! Both hands were holding the one-handed weapon as she shook uncontrollably in fear. She fired again, this time hitting the Insecta-Cassie's midsection, and the entire monster burned away in a flash.

I was losing a lot of blood at this point and I fell over onto my back.

Cassie and Melissa came to my side. "David!" Melissa sobbed.

"Demorph, David! Demorph!" Cassie commanded.

"I . . . can't. There's um . . . there's something . . . . . in me." I explain, my brain a little altered.

"If you morph, it'll go away!" Cassie tried to explain.

But Melissa took a different route. She grabbed the giant insect mouthpart that skewered my chest with both hands and ripped it out of me. "Demorph NOW!" She commanded.

I started to feel a little more level-headed, and I realized I had just demorphed. I looked up at Melissa and Cassie. Expressions of relief flooded their faces. Cassie held her head in exhaustion. Melissa just smiled her pretty smile at me with tears in her eyes.

"Melissa." I said as took her hands in mine. It was then I noticed her palms were sliced open and bleeding. "You cut your hands pulling that mouthpart out of me. You saved my life. Twice."

Melissa just chuckled, trying not to cry. This tiny woman has impressed me a lot today. I kissed her deeply.

"How'd you get a Shredder?" I asked.

"Ummm, I . . . kinda . . . . told her where to get one." Ayla admitted.

"That was awfully presumptuous of you, Ayla."

"You can spank me later." Ayla said as a droid carrying a First Aid kit entered the Bug Bay.

The Buffalo-man made grunting noises as it got up on its two human feet.

"Can you make it change back?" Melissa asked.

Cassie went up the Buffalo-man and got down on all fours. "It's time to go back, now." She said.

The Buffalo-man made a grunt in a questioning tone.

"Yes, you are good. You are very good." Cassie said.

The Buffalo-man made a grunt of satisfaction as he began to form into a full Buffalo.

Cassie backed away from the morphing buffalo with mix of fascination and sorrowful dread on her face. She took over my feeble attempts at dressing the cuts on Melissa's hands, "I didn't even have to show him this time. He just did it. He's getting smarter."

I looked at the Buffalo. I tried to wrap my head around the idea of a non-sentient animal morphing into something sentient. The kind of mind-fuck that would incur.

I had some idea. My composite Andalite morph is great deal smarter than me. Whenever I morph it, it feels like I'm going crazy.

This buffalo must be going through something similar, and yet . . . to become self aware . . . . how I can compare it? This creature should not exist.

"David. That helicopter is going after the others; I'm supposed to stop it." Cassie told me, finishing her dressing on Melissa's hands.

"Ayla, are we still following the helicopter?" I asked.

"Yes. We're about go over the ocean." Ayla reported.

"That's where the others are. The other Animorphs _and_ the blue box!" Cassie said.

"Ayla, are we following _behind_ them?" I asked.

"Yes." Ayla answered.

"Follow above." I commanded.

"What are you going to do?" Cassie asked me. "I mean, your agreement with Jake . . ." she said stealing a glance at Melissa. Melissa had gone to pick up the ADFS Rod and the Shredder she dropped. She stuck the shredder in the waistband of the back of her jeans, the tails of my way-too-big-on-her shirt bunched up around it.

"I know my agreement with Jake." I replied. "Ayla, can you punch into the helicopter's communications?"

"Does an Andalite shit in the woods?" Ayla replied flippantly, as we began to hear radio static.

"Ha Ha! Look at the little Andalites go!" laughed a human-controller.

"I still say we should have been aloud to shoot at them." Said another human-controller.

"Eh, let the taxxon-controller have his fun." Said the first human-controller.

"Taxxon-controller?" I repeat. "A Bug Fighter is there!"

"Besides eating and being disgusting, shooting stuff is the only thing they're good at. Besides, maybe not even_ they_ will be the ones who'll finish the Andalites off." Said the first human-controller jovially. "All that blood in the water is gonna attract the sharks! And if you think taxxons are brutal . . . ."

"Now who's being disgusting." Said the second human-controller.

"We must be over the water." I said as I morphed into Terry Stevens. ((Oh, Prince Jake? Are we having a little trouble?))

((David?)) Jake answered.

((David! Have you seen Cassie?)) Rachel demanded.

((I've seen her. She's standing next to me.)) I told them. ((We're in _Proteus_ right over the helicopter. I know we have our agreement, Jake, about me using my ship offensively, but since I'm here and within chaperoning distance . . .))

((Do it!)) Jake commanded.

"Ayla, deactivate stealth mode." I commanded.

"What the fuck?" cried the first human-controller. "That looks like the Blade Ship. But it's blue!"

"It's _him_!" yelled the second human-controller. He said '_him_' in reference to me in the same fearful and hateful tone we refer to Visser Three.

"They're afraid of you." Melissa realized.

"As they should be." I said. I looked at Cassie. I wouldn't have been surprised if Jake was giving her private thought-speech commands. Not that I blame him. "Ayla, capture the Helicopter!"

The belly hatch opened and a deactivated helicopter slowly rose up. As part of the capture process, any person onboard the helicopter was rendered unconscious by a low level shredder pulse wave.

((What about the Bug Fighter, Jake?)) I asked. ((Has it hightailed it yet?))

((No, it's aimed for your belly hatch! Close it!)) Jake warned.

Too late. The Bug Fighter rose up into my Bug Bay via the Belly hatch, pushing the helicopter, such that it rested precariously on top of the yeerk ship.

TSSSEEEWWWW! It fired its beams at the four of us! I'd killed us all!

A discolored Dracon Beam hit the yellowish energy shield and deflected. Someone activated the Anti-Drac Field Shield! I looked and, of course, as par for the course today, Melissa had once again saved all our lives.

((What's going on up there?)) Tobias asked us.

Once it was clear to the controllers in the Bug Fighter that they weren't going to be Draconing me to death. The rays stopped. Melissa however did not turn off the shield.

Only when the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxon exited the Fighter and began to advance toward us, did Melissa drop the rod and deactivate the shield. The Hork-Bajir began to rush us. I tried to morph to Hork-Bajir, but nothing happened. I remembered I was still in human morph and demorphed. Before I could start my new morph, the buffalo rammed the Hork-Bajir. The Hork-Bajir went flying into a wall, rendering him unconscious. I thought fast and pulled the Shredder from Melissa's pants and fired a first level blast at the Taxxon, knocking him out.

"That was three," Melissa said coyly, "and don't think I'm not keeping track, David."

The Buffalo cried out in victory.

"So what are those?" Melissa asked. She didn't know the names of the aliens she helped defeat?

"The horned one is a Hork-Bajir. The centipede is a Taxxon. Ayla, get some capture droids in here." I said as I walked over to the Taxxon to acquire it. "Send the humans to the Cold Pods, and the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxon to the Yeerk Pool Room."

((David? Cassie?)) Jake asked.

My hand turned lobster-ish. "Well, that's hardly useful." I commented.

I demorphed my arm and morphed into Terry Stevens. ((I'm freeing a Hork-Bajir and I'm going to drop him and Cassie off at the colony.))

"What about him?" Cassie asked me about the Buffalo as she emerged from the Helicopter with something in her hand..

This mistake of nature?

"I'll take care of him too." I said.

Neither the Hork-Bajir-Controller nor the Taxxon-Controller would take my offer, so they both ended up sucking Kandraina gas the hard way. The Hork-Bajir was sent with Cassie and the Taxxon was sent to the Cold Pods.

Cassie had taken the Helmacron ship with her. I suppose they didn't trust me with it. As Cassie and the newly freed Hork-Bajir left my ship, Cassie said this about Melissa,

"I'll tell Rachel she has nothing to worry about." Cassie said with a chuckle.

As for the buffalo, it kept wanting to morph human, we kept telling it to turn back. Melissa didn't want to see this thing turn into her father.

So I came up with something silly.

"We're going to touch it at the same time." I said.

"Why?" Melissa asked.

"So it'll acquire us."

"Why would we want that? It could then turn into both of us."

"If I'm right, it'll actually do what's called a frolis maneuver by accident. It'll morph something that's equal parts you and me."

Melissa grimaced like this wasn't exactly better. "Ooookay."

We both put our hands on the buffalo. I looked at Melissa and her eyes began to close, she was going through an acquiring trance. I felt . . . sleepy . . . . .

Oh right, the acquiring trance, both Melissa and I snapped out of it. Almost immediately the buffalo began to morph. Its new morph was definitely a male about my height. He wasn't quite as broad as I was. His skin was very pale and his hair was very blond. He actually looked a lot like me, but lacked some of my harder features and there was a little bit of Melissa's softer features in there: Melissa's dimples for instance. He also had Melissa's grey eyes. Fortunately, some of his more 'delicate' parts were still covered in brown Buffalo fur.

"Awww," Melissa said, suddenly very attached to the freak, "he's cute."

"Yeah. We make a good looking kid." I said.

"What are you suggesting, David Hunting?" Melissa asked teasingly.

"Guh. Guuuuuuuh?" the Buffalo asked.

"Yes, you are good." Melissa said, repeating something that Cassie told him. "He needs a name."

"The morph or the Buffalo?" I ask.

"The buffalo!" She said as if I was silly.

"We're not calling him David Hunting, Jr."

"I was thinking more like Bonehead." Melissa said.

"Bonehead!" I repeated. "That's mean!"

"No it isn't. He's a buffalo. He fights with his hard head. Bonehead!" Melissa said. "Bonehead von Buffalo is his full name!"

"Bonehead von Buffalo!" I repeated again. "That's worse than Fluffer McKitty!"

Melissa elbowed me in the gut.

"Hrrrmp! Ok, Bonehead von Buffalo it is." I conceded. "I'm calling him Bone for short."

"Guh. Guh. Guuuuhd!" said Bone.

"So what are we doing with him?" Melissa asked.

The 'we' annoyed me. "I don't know. He can't be acquiring things and morphing. Especially sentient animals, it must be so weird to suddenly so self-aware."

"What about those Proto-bots you told me about?"

"Protimus bots? They only work for twelve hours before dissolving. I guess I could make something more permanent, but that would require implanting something directly something into his spinal cord. I don't know if I could figure out how to do that."

"What about that alien morph you have that's smarter than you?"

"You mean that andalite morph I have? In that, I probably could figure anything out, but I don't like to morph it. It makes me crazy."

"Imagine how he feels." Melissa said stroking Bone's head. Bone smiled like a weirdo.

"Morphing is a biotechnology. If there's anyone better at biotech than Andalites, it's the Arn. The last arn: Quafijinivon." I said.

"Arrrr. Arrr." Bone mimicked. "Naaaaaaaaaaaa"

"I'm gonna have to go to the Hork-Bajir planet."

Melissa immediately stopped playing with Bone and gave me a really frightened look on her face. "You mean travel in space?"

"Well, I do have a spaceship."

"It's broken."

"_She_, Melissa. Ships are always a she." I said.

"_She_'s broken."

"Ayla, can _Proteus_ travel in space?"

"Yes. All outer hull damage has been repaired." Ayla reported. "However, the weapons systems are not yet operational."

"I promised Jake I wouldn't go bouncing around the galaxy like a warlord, so engaging in battle is not necessary. Besides, with Pemalite cloaking technology, they'll never find me."

"But what if you run into trouble?" Melissa asked.

"The Sea Bugs' dracons are completely operational." I rationalized. "I'll be fine."

"I'm coming with you." Melissa said again.

"Uh, no." I said. "Zipping around the town of California is one thing. Going with me to ends of the galaxy is another. The trip will take days, you can't go missing for that long."

"What if you die?"

"I'm not gonna –" I gave up in frustration. "Even if I did die, how would you being there make that better? You don't have morphing power."

"I did pretty good today for not having any powers, right?" Melissa asked.

I chuckled. "Sweetie, you did amazing!" I said right before I kissed her. "But the only reason you were here is because dropping you off would have meant death for Bonehead there, who I thought was an Animorph." I said as I shot Bone a look.

Bone was poking his own cheeks with his fingers, as if testing them out. Then he started feeling around the top of his head, as if looking for his horns.

"Aaaaeeeeh!" Bone grunted very Tim Allen-esque.

I looked at Melissa, and I suddenly flashed to my night with Stephanie.

Stephanie used a very similar strategy to try and convince me to take her with me.

Of course, those were in actuality the machinations of a yeerk. But I know Melissa isn't a controller, and she's using the exact same strategy.

I know the yeerk didn't love me; that was crazy. Did the real Stephanie?

"What?" Melissa asked when I hadn't said anything in a long time.

"Nothing." I said as I began to hug her. "You're not coming, but I promise I'll return to you as quickly as I can."

Melissa sighed. "Can't blame a girl for trying." Melissa said as she hugged me tighter, as if she didn't plan on letting me go for a long time. "I love you."

And again, regrettably, I was silent.

**Erko**

My name is Erko Zeair-576. I am a young adult dayang. My best friend Picum Passay-370 and I have just completed our first tour aboard a star-trader, the _Rogin Gavic_, in which we served as non-essential worker-privates.

I thought the idea of traveling through space, doing business with aliens was exciting. Truthfully, though, I thought we'd visit more alien planets. Then I figured out that Trader ships are too big to land on most planets. Even ours, we use an orbiting space station. We've met a lot of aliens though: yeerks and their various hosts, Hawajabrans, Ongachics, and unfortunately a few Skrit Na.

The most exiting time though, without question, was the human we met. David Hunting. David Hunting could morph like an andalite. He showed up out of thin air and Picum and I were the first to talk to him. He acquired bits of me and Picum and then soon, he and Dr. Orbin and Dr. Klika built some kind of technology that the Yeerks wanted. They wanted it so bad, we might have been able to achieve Wryphat'd. I wasn't sure what the technology was.

I was kind of interested though. I originally wanted a job in the Science division, but Picum was going into the worker division, and I guess I just wasn't brave enough to do something without my childhood friend.

But anyways, the deal fell through, and not only that, Captain Gwarver gets arrested! A lot of the older dayangs were disappointed. I wasn't. I'm still young; I have plenty of time to achieve wryphat'd.

Picum and I had been back on our home planet in our Capital City for two days. Picum was enjoying the downtime. Me, I wasn't sure what I wanted. I couldn't wait to leave again. I wanted to go back into space, but the life of a worker-private is a boring one. Maybe I should transfer to the science division, anyway. I mean, Picum doesn't need me. He's pretty much learned when to not talk weirdly or drop stuff or anything else Picum-like.

It's just, well, I don't know . . . . he's my best friend.

We were walking in a park, having spent the afternoon fishing. We passed by a garden, and I remembered another thing I've missed out on being a worker-private. I used to love gardening, but it's not something a worker-private does. Chefs or Scientists have gardens, not worker-privates.

As we walked I looked at Picum. He was carrying our fishing gear and the fish we caught with his tentacles. I hate it when he carries heavy stuff in his tentacles, because he always invariably manages to hit me with it. Especially with his tendency to slip his upper body forward and back along his lower body as he walked like he was a hyperactive child or something. However, he likes to keep his main arms free for doing Picum-like things like picking up random objects or breaking stuff that doesn't belong to him.

I'm not drawing a very nice picture of him, but I'm allowed to make fun of him; he's my best friend.

Well, he was.

Anyways, I was trying to get my nerve up to tell him that I wanted to transfer to the Science division. I don't know why I was so nervous. Picum is nothing if not tolerant of change.

"So, um, Picum, I was thinking . . ." I began, "when our vacation is up, I was thinking of transferring."

"You want us to transfer to a different trader?" Picum asked me.

"No, no." I quickly corrected. "We'll stay with _Rogin Gavic_, but I was thinking that maybe _I_ should transfer to—"

Sometimes I think about this last moment. This last moment Picum and I were just average, working schmoes. Five minutes later our lives changed forever.

I was interrupted mid-sentence by the call of an old female.

"Pardon my interruption, but could you two young males help me?" asked the old female. She was very short. Her hair was completely clear, it looked almost white. Her tentacles barely moved and she kept her main arms close to herself. Even her ground arms looked atrophied.

"What's the problem, old one?" Picum asked, not being particularly polite. I figured I'd correct him later.

"I dropped something in the forest path. My main eyes aren't very good and my third eye is blind. Can you strapping young males help me?"

"Sure! No worries. Can you hold our fish?" Picum quickly replied.

I gave Picum a discrete flick in the head with one of my tentacles. "I'm sure we strapping young males can look for whatever it is you lost _without_ putting our stuff down."

We followed the old female into the forest. After a few minutes we got to the middle of the path.

"This is where I lost it." Said the old female.

Picum and I started looking along the ground. "What was it you lost?" I ask.

((All pretense)) said a thought-speech voice.

I looked around suddenly at the old female. She started to shift. She was morphing like an Andalite!

"What damnation!" Picum screamed while sliding his upper body all the way back, hitting me in the face with our fishing gear in the process. I would have yelled at him if I weren't so transfixed by what was going on.

From the form of the clear-haired old female dayang came . . . . . a much larger, black-haired, less old male dayang. Then I recognized him.

"Captain Gwarver Passay-039!" I identify. "Or should I say, Ex-captain Gwarver?"

"Hey, Uncle Gwarver! How come you can morph?" Picum asked.

I'd forgotten that Captain Gwarver was Picum's uncle.

Two green-haired dayangs sauntered up behind us.

"Is this the whelp?" said the bigger and buffer of the two greens.

"Yes, the blue-haired one." Gwarver said, referring to Picum. "I'm not sure what we'll do with his friend."

Oh, feces. Gwarver was gonna kill me.

"I'm sure I can think of something. Ha Ha Ha Ha." Said the other green. I looked at him again, and I recognized him: Kartar Legles-283! AKA Krull the Serial Killer.

"Well, wherever I go, Erko can go!" Picum said, not quite understanding the situation we were in.

"I don't know about that, nephew." Gwarver replied.

"I say, take him with us." said a female voice. "The more friends the more fun."

The female stepped into few. She was about a decade older than me and Picum. She was beautiful. She had red hair and nicely shaped tentacles. In one of her tentacles, she carried some blue object.

"What are you doing, Gwarver? How do you have the power to morph?" I asked.

"With this," Gwarver said as the female handed him the blue object I could now see was a cube, "this little device that Lebla Synda-300 has stolen for us has given us the power to morph, and soon it'll give you two the power to morph."

"Coolness!" Picum said.

"What if we refuse?" I asked.

"You will not refuse." Gwarver said confidently as he began to shift.

The others began to morph as well, and soon I was looking at four wild animals.

The greens had morphed into Zeronexes, some of the most dangerous animals on Gianna Draquen. They had lower bodies like dayangs, but their ground arms were more like legs and they had claws at the ends of them. Their upper bodies had no tentacles, and their main arms were more like spikes that just waved about. Their heads were mostly mouths that were really fast and deadly. The green whose name I didn't know had morphed a Killer Zeronex, the deadliest and biggest kind with huge spikes-arms and a jaw that could crush rocks. Krull the serial killer had morphed a Fast Zeronex, a sleeker, smaller breed with small spike-arms. As the name suggests, it is the fastest zeronex breed, in fact, except for certain birds and insects, it is the fastest animal on Gianna Draquen. Certainly the fastest land animal.

Lebla had morphed a Xegapmar, a relatively slow but deadly creature. It was mostly a shell with four legs, one coming out of each "corner" of the shell. Four tails came out of the back, three large, slow, and powerful tails and one small, useless one. It had a large compound eye looking out of the front of the shell. It was the top of the shell where the xegapmar had its power. The shell had three 'trap holes' were more body parts came out, one in the center and two towards the front. The two towards the front had tentacles. Out of the center trap hole came what could be considered the creature's main body, though it was a great deal smaller than the rest of it. The main body was a torso and head with two simple eyes and the animal's mouth. The main body also had two arm-like appendages that shot streams of deadly venom.

Finally, Gwarver himself had also morphed into something vaguely Dayang. His lower body got bigger as his ground arms changed into digging claws. His upper body also got bigger and buffer, his main arms getting longer with muscle upon muscle being added to as the main arms got long enough to reach the ground. Then, his thin and limber dayang tentacles, became as thick as tree branches and grew spikes at the ends of them like andalite tails. His muzzle elongated, and finally, his black dayang hair was replaced coarse copperish fur everywhere, not just down the upper spine and on the arms like a dayang, but everywhere: upper body, lower body; everywhere but the tentacles. I recognized the creature: a Sabrayog. Our taxonomists think that Sabrayogs and Dayangs are related.

((You won't refuse.)) Gwarver repeated to us. ((That would be foolish.))

The zeronexes growled at us. The xegapmar aimed its venom shooters at us.

"What are we going to do with the morphing power Gwarver?" I ask.

The rust-red compound eye of the Sabrayog got very dark. ((Whatever we want!))

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I meant for this to be a much shorter chapter, but I subscribe to the Greg Wiesman's theory of storytelling: you do not write stories, stories are revealed to you.


	61. Galaxy Tour I: Autophobia

_**May 5, 1998**_

It had been nearly a month since my fourteenth birthday, so naturally I decided to take up smoking. Getting cigarettes is ridiculously easy in Crystal Clear Waters, North Dakota, some hick-town outside of Piedmont. Crystal Clear Waters. That was the full name of the town. I'd been living here since February. Moved in during the middle of a blizzard. That was tons of fun. It was early May and still the snow would not go away.

I was hanging out by the convenience store where I bought the smokes. I coughed as I took the first puff of the cigarette. If my father ever caught me smoking, he'd have a fit. Not that I gave a fuck.

This kid named John Howard came up to me. "Hey, David."

John wasn't my friend. He tried to be, but given the way my father moved us around all the time, I wasn't in the habit of making friends. "What do you want John?"

"David, do you know what today is?"

"Ignorance Appreciation Day?"

"Cinco de Mayo" John clarified.

I chuckled and began to walk the three miles to home. "Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, and there isn't a Mexican family in all of Crystal Clear Waters. Why should that matter to us whities?"

"Tradition," John tried to explain to me, "The football jocks at the high school pick one incoming freshman and put them through the 'special initiation'."

"Special initiation?" I repeated. I ceased trying to understand anything these backwater, redneck fucks did.

"They handcuff 'em to a post inside a pigpen and leave them there for the night. They call it 'Stinko de Mayo'"

That was too stupid I had to laugh. "Fuckin' rednecks, I swear to God."

"It's not a joke, David." John tried to warn me. "You know Josh Di Rotti?"

"No."

John rolled his eyes at my indifference. "He's the guy who tried to start a fight with you. You wouldn't fight, so when he finally cornered you and dared you to do your worst, you punched his girlfriend."

I laughed. "Oh yeah, him. What about him?"

"His brother Emilio is captain of the football team. I'm just saying they might be looking for you as this year's Señor Stinko."

"But I'm not an incoming freshman. My dad got new orders. In six weeks I'm moving to Georgia. I don't know if they'll be bigger rednecks than the ones here, but at least it'll be warm. Either way, I'll be free of the lot of you." I said. "I ain't worried about it."

"Well you should be, David." John warned. "Emilio Di Rotti is not forgiving if you humiliate his brother."

"Whatever, dude. Later." I said as I left John and started walking down the road to my house.

Twenty minutes later, I was still walking when, WHACK! Something struck me in the back of my head. I lost consciousness.

I woke up and my face was leaning against glass. I looked through the glass and I could see the sun setting over Sparkling River, the river that runs through Crystal Clear Waters. I realized I was in a moving car and my head hurt.

"Uhhhh." I grumbled.

"Howdy, Davie." Said a voice. I hated it when people called me Davie.

I was in the middle seat of a van. I looked behind me and in the backseat were Josh Di Rotti and his girlfriend Regan Fleuve, the same one I'd punched. "Josh. What the fuck!"

The van stopped. The door opened and I was dragged out by two high schoolers. Football jocks. Josh's brother, Emilio Di Rotti and Chris Shedding. The older boys were bigger and stronger than my fourteen-year-old self. I couldn't get away. I could if I was angry enough, but I was still out of it from being knocked unconscious.

"Welcome to Di Rotti Farms." Emilio said. "Here are your lovely accommodations for the night." He said leading me into the pigpen.

I fought them, but they managed to handcuff me to a fence post of the pigpen with my arms behind me.

"How you like me now, Davie?" Josh taunted me.

"About as well as I did before," I said, "which is not at all!"

"Shhhhh. Don't be shoutin'. You'll disturb your roommates."

My roommates were about fifteen pigs. Josh pointed to a particularly large and fat one. "This here is Guts."

"And they say people don't look like their pets." I quipped back.

"I raised Guts from a piglet. He's a good pig." Josh explained. Stupid Rednecks are always toting around their farm animals as if they were their children. "Guts is my prize hog."

"Does that mean you buy him dinner first?"

Emilio answered my question with a punch to the stomach. Emilio then faced me.

"David Hunting? Congratulations, Hombre. You are this year's Señor Stinko!" Emilio said to me as he blew smoke in my face, causing me to cough. "Here's your sombrero and your cigarette."

Chris put a sombrero on my head and a cigarette in my mouth. He lit it for me. I took a puff and coughed, knocking the cigarette into the mud.

"Happy Stinko de Mayo. See you in the morning." Emilio said to me as he walked away with a laughing Josh and a chuckling Chris. Regan turned her head behind her to glare at me.

For hours I tried to get free of the fence post. As the sun set and night fell, I tried to break it, lift it, anything. Cold wind was blowing and it eventually blew my sombrero off so that it landed near the trunk of a nearby tree.

I got so frustrated I kicked a sleeping pig. It squealed at the hit, but didn't do much else. I kicked it again and it got up and squealed louder at me. I kicked mud on its face and it decided to headbutt me in the balls. I went down. After a minute I got back up onto my feet and soccer-kicked the little piggy in the face. The pig hit another pig, and soon I had woken up the entire pen. They all started squealing like crazy and they began to stampede. They broke the gate that held them, and trampled everything, including me.

I think I passed out again. I woke up later; my entire body hurt, the stampede had broken both the post that held me and the handcuffs themselves, my arms were free. Apparently, no one in the Di Rotti house woke up from the stampede.

I slowly arose from the pile of pig shit, pig slop, and my own blood I was lying in and stood up. One pig remained in the pen. Guts.

I looked on the ground and there was a piece of the wooden fence lying around. It looked like a stake. I picked it up and made my way toward Guts.

As the sun rose, Chris, Emilio, Josh, and Regan came out of the house to check up on me. When they saw that not only was I not there, but the pigs were gone too, they freaked out.

"Shit! The pigs are loose!" Josh said.

"Where do you suppose David went?" Chris asked.

I was up in the tree with a sombrero full of surprise.

When my four captors came close to the tree I let loose the contents of the sombrero.

They were showered in pig's blood and guts. Guts' guts.

Regan started to scream. The others all shouted variations of 'what the fuck?'. I jumped out of the tree and threw something at Josh. Josh caught it and then realized what he caught. Guts' head.

He started screaming like a banshee. Chris rushed me, but I was sufficiently pissed and awake enough to lay him out in one swing. Emilio rushed at me, and since I didn't think I could take him on, I pulled out the stake I'd used to kill Guts and stabbed Emilio in the side. He cried out in disbelieving pain and went down like a ton of bricks.

"YOU STABBED ME! MOTHERFUCKER, YOU STABBED ME!"

Josh was on his knees now, still crying at Guts' head. He felt me approach him and he backed up and glared at me. He's glared at me before, but there was something new in his eyes. Fear.

And I liked it.

I looked at Regan. She wasn't even aware that I was there, she was running around covered in pig blood like a woman possessed. I looked once more at the weeping Josh and I threw my pack of cigarettes at him. I decided to quit smoking.

I limped away from the Di Rotti farm, following Sparkling River to the main part of town. You'd think it would be the pig shit that would be the most overpowering smell, but it wasn't. It was the pig blood. I got covered in it when I slaughtered Guts. I saw a bicycle ride toward me. I recognized the rider. John.

John saw me and stopped. I stopped walking.

"Jesus! What happened?"

"I'm Señor Stinko." I said, I decided I didn't want to be covered in blood anymore and I waded into the river.

"Whose blood is that?" John asked me tentatively.

"It's pig blood." I reassured him as I washed the crap off me. The waters of Crystal Clear Water were in fact crystal clear. I looked in them and I saw my reflection.

I didn't like what I saw.

I came up out of the water, sopping wet and freezing. I looked at John and he had this look of fear on his face.

"In six weeks, I am gone. You all can forget I was ever here." I said.

"We'll never forget you were here." John said.

By the time I had walked home, I was nearly frozen to death, but that was the least of my worries. My parents didn't even realize I was gone, dumb fucks.

I took a warm shower to get my body temperature up and to get rid of any remaining blood and shit. I stood there naked in the shower as the soothing water ran over me, with my head against the wall, wondering what I had done.

My father promised that this next move would be the last one, so I made a deal with myself, once I get to Georgia, to not be so 'David-like' and to actually build a life. Start over. That way, I wouldn't have to hate myself anymore.

I was never charged with anything. I really should have been, but I guess no one wanted to admit that the Captain of the Football Team was stabbed by an eighth-grader. Or maybe they were afraid of me.

That's okay, so was I.

_**July 24, 2000 **_

I was in a mood. Not a pissy one. I was very lonely. I had been traveling for four days by myself in zero-space with only Ayla as company, and ever since "The David Hunting Show" incident, I've been afraid of being left alone to my own devices.

The thing that I was afraid of most, Stephanie, has been defeated, so now I'm afraid the monster that defeated her. Me.

And I realized that the person I've hated most in world has never been Sub-visser 509, Jake, Visser Three, Brett Taggert, or even my father.

It was me.

I have always been a loner. Long before the Animorphs. I didn't make many efforts to make friends in the myriad of cities I've lived in. Except Peach Haven, and by accident, California, New Jersey.

But now I see clearly what happens when I'm alone, away from the eyes of friends, where I needn't account for myself, and it was the lack of accountability that does me in. Away from the eyes of friends I've done horrible things.

I've beaten a controller's face unrecognizable. I've viciously attacked my father. I've viciously attacked andalites for no good reason. I've used horrible secrets against rivals.

What I did to Visser Three was the first time I let my friends see, but that was for everyone to see. I don't know how many eyes it opened, but it certainly opened mine.

I couldn't tell Melissa what I had done. I broadcasted it for all the Yeerks to see. I boasted of it in front of the Animorphs, and yet when it came to tell the one person whose opinion matters most to me, I couldn't. Because I was ashamed.

Melissa. I couldn't believe she saved my life three times, and all without the morphing power.

If she had the morphing power, she'd be a formidable force. It's just . . . . I don't know. Our relationship has been strange. Now she thinks she loves me. And I don't know if I do. Or if I ever will. It makes me wonder if we have a future.

And then I think about Stephanie. I still have feelings for her, and despite the sub-visser's claim that it was her in Stephanie's head that made me feel true love, I wasn't sure. Could she have been lying? Is that what she meant when she said she was ready to tell the truth?

"We are now leaving Z-space." Ayla announced. As we translated into real space, I realized we had nearly landed on top of the planet. "Estimated time of arrival: eighty minutes."

I decided to check up on our special guest. On the lower deck, next to the Cold Pod room, I've established what I call the Holo Pod room. Using Pemalite technology, I can suspend someone in a zero gravity field, and through further holographic technology, the someone in question would have no idea that they weren't where they thought they were. What is this good for? Animals of course. Currently, the leopard I captured is the only permanent resident, with the buffalo a temporary one.

We entered the Hork-Bajir atmosphere and prepared to make our way to Quafijinivon's lab. I had called ahead, and Quafijinivon told me that the newly created Neo-Hork-Bajir had been able to secure a small area on the surface with which I could park _Proteus_. I found the field, but it was a tight squeeze. I saw Hork-Bajir running around down there. I prepared Bone for exiting the ship. I got him out of his Holo Pod, and he looked at me funny. He started to morph into human and I told him "no". He understands that word. I led him out of the Holo Pod room, through the twists and turns of my ship, and to the side hatch. As soon as we opened the door, twelve strangely colored Hork-Bajir leveled Dracon Beams at us.

"All right. What'd I do?" I ask.

"Greet tal no noz?" said one of the Hork-Bajir, a female.

These Hork-Bajir were different. Normal Hork-Bajir are greenish brown, these guys were bluish-purple!

"Yes, he is, and we should speak English for our guests." Said a new Hork-Bajir voice. The Neo-Hork-Bajir put down their dracon beams and a regular Hork-Bajir stepped forward. He looked at me with appreciation in his Hork-Bajir eyes.

"Mr. Hunting. When you said you were coming, we were expecting a Bug Fighter." Said the Hork-Bajir. "Not an entire Blade Ship. Especially one so . . . oddly colored."

I point to the purple Hork-Bajir. "My ship is oddly colored?"

"You'll have to talk with Quafijinivon about that." He said cordially.

"I plan to."

"I saw you once before at the colony on Earth, but did not introduce myself." Said the Hork-Bajir. "I had other things on my mind at the time, but it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You speak eloquently for a Hork-Bajir." I said.

"It is not the Hork-Bajir that is talking." Admitted the Hork-Bajir. Or should I say, Hork-Bajir-Controller.

"You are a controller?"

"Yes. For the time being. Walk with me, Mr. Hunting, and we will talk of many things."

"I came to speak with Quafijinivon." I insisted, motioning to Bone to follow me.

"I will lead you and your animal to him."

The Neo-Hork-Bajir had built a shuttle train that goes from the surface to Quafijinivon's lab, so we arrived in a matter of minutes.

"How can you hold this fort down?" I ask during the ride. "Why haven't the Yeerks blasted it away?"

"We take great pains to conceal it from them. And we have fought bitterly for it." Said the Hork-Bajir-Controller.

When we arrived I saw that there were other normal Hork-Bajir running around doing things. There were also humans!

As I led Bone to the lab, a middle aged woman approached me and grabbed my hand as we walked.

"God Bless you, David Hunting. What you and the other Animorphs are doing is a Godsend for our planet. It is righteous that you fight them, but remember peace."

"Um . . . thank you? I will." I answered and she smiled and left me to go about her business. "Freed hosts?" I asked the controller.

"Yes. We capture as many as we can and kill few. We try to get the yeerks to surrender to us, but some will not, and they die of Kandrona starvation." The controller said with pain in his voice.

"This pains you, yeerk?" I asked.

"Of course. They are my brethren. I cannot convince them that your and Quafijinivon's vision is the only way. They continue to choose the wrong way because it is all they know." Said the controller. "And my name is Kirag four-one-zero, by the way, and this is my gracious host, Laet Caffaj" He said motioning to his Hork-Bajir body.

"Pleasure to meet you, Kirag, and um, you too, Laet? I take it he's voluntary."

"A noble self-sacrifice." Kirag said. I have never heard a yeerk speak so well of his host before. "He is a good person."

Bone wiggled his head.

We arrived at Quafijinivion's lab and I called out to him. "Quafijinivon?"

"David Hunting!" said the old Arn as he walked out. "What is this chore you have for me? I am still busy trying to design our great vision."

"It's this buffalo. It accidentally acquired the morphing power, acquired a few sentient morphs, and well now it's a freak of nature. It can't control the morphing nor understand what's happening because it isn't sentient . . ."

"Ah, I see. Say no more, I will fix the problem." The Arn said confidently. "What a magnificent animal. May I sample its DNA? It would be most helpful to my research and the war effort."

"I don't see why not." I said.

"It will take me a day to complete this. Feel free to take refuge in our colony. I am very excited. Hojerval'c! Dr. Mercer! Assist me please!"

A neo-hork-bajir and a fifty-year-old human rushed to the side of the old arn. They led Bone into the inner part of the lab. Hopefully, they'll find a way to take away his morphing power. That way he'll just be a regular buffalo again. I hope.

"Do you need my help, Quafijinivon?" Kirag asked.

"No, Kirag. You have not slept since your feeding cycle. You will tire Laet out, not to mention yourself."

"You have not slept either, Mentor."

"I will sleep when I am dead. That day is rapidly approaching. Go, Kirag."

"Mentor?" I asked.

"I have learned a lot from Quafijinivon." Kirag said.

"You said you saw me at the colony on Earth." I said.

"Yes, please let us get somewhere less chaotic and I will tell you my story."

We went inside one of the Arn-made rooms. The room had definitely benefited from the humans they've freed. It had decorated to give it a warm, human touch.

I sat down on a soft couch made of who knows what while Kirag sat in a stone chair and told me his story.

"I was stationed on Earth. I worked directly under Visser Three as part of his science division. My specialty was biotechnology. My host was involuntary, a human scientist named John Rochelli."

"Do they usually do that? Put yeerks with hosts that are like them?"

"Yes, they hope that human curiosity will make them complacent to our control. In John's case, it worked to an extent. He hated me for imprisoning him, but was fascinated by our technology and science. He loved watching me work, while loathing me at the same time.

"I did good work for the Empire. I mutated a life-form we found on Saturn to pick up morphing energy. I helped inoculate our people for thousands of annoying Earth viruses and infections. I created a way to mutate sharks as to create shock troops for Leera. I got to work under Visser One that time; she is only slightly less monstrous than Visser Three.

"But then Visser Three started getting insane. He made me work on a formula to take away human's free will. I knew it could not work. I knew it was impossible. My years of trying to quell John's hatred of me were proof positive of that, but the Visser wouldn't listen.

"But the last straw, was when Visser Three told me to make the Hork-Bajir amphibious. I didn't want to do it, but they made me. I told them my ideas, but something got lost in translation. Maybe I made a miscalculation, maybe Visser Three's impatience made us sloppy. Either way, it was a disaster."

"I know. I saw him." I said.

"Yes, well. I refused to mutate anymore Hork-Bajir. Then the rebels came to free the Hork-Bajir. I lead them to the cage where we kept them. One of the hork-bajir in that cage was Laet Caffaj. The other human-controllers there started to shoot human guns at Jara Hamee and his warriors. In the crossfire, I was shot by one of the human bullets in the stomach. Perhaps accidentally, perhaps on purpose, I'm not sure. I had betrayed my fellow yeerks, so perhaps I deserved it. John was slowly dying. His wounds were fatal. I was content to die with John (a better death than I deserved), when Laet Caffaj came to me and tried to save me. I told him to leave me; I was going to die anyway.

"Then the strangest thing happened. John insisted that I leave him and carry on without him. John practically commanded me to devote the rest of my life to freeing people from the Yeerk Empire. Including the yeerks themselves. Imagine that! A host commanding his yeerk. I repeated his command out loud for Laet to hear and another strange thing happened. Laet offered his body to me. Laet told me to use his body, escape, and help free Hork-Bajir.

"I did not want to, but I decided that my life was not my own anymore. I had to serve my Penance for imprisoning John, and if Laet wanted to help than he would. I entered Laet and took control. I grabbed John's dying body and left the compound following Jara Hamee to the colony.

"Forever I will be glad that John was still alive when we made it to the valley. He got to see the free Hork-Bajir. It was the last thing he ever saw. I buried him there in the colony. A human grave amongst Hork-Bajir. Freedom fighters all.

"Toby told me of the experiments being done by Quafijinivon. I decided I had to get there somehow."

"How'd you make it?" I asked.

"Luck. That's the only explanation I can give. I was lucky." Karig said. "I really should've been caught."

"So what do you do?" I asked.

"I have been teaching the Neo-Hork-Bajir English mostly. I've also helped out Quafijinivion. That has been exciting. All of my great yeerk biotechnology is a baby's toy compared to the sophistication of Quafijinivon's work. And thanks to me and the human Tony Mercer and one of the neo-hork-bajir named Hojerval'c Kasaldra, the technology will not die with him."

"Hojerval'c Kasaldra? That's a strange name for a Hork-Bajir." I said.

"We let the neo-hork-bajir name themselves. Hojerval'c took that name because it's a mesh of _hoji_ (which means big), _dervel_ (which means brain), and _nal'c_ (which means strength). He took Kasaldra because it's a mesh of Cassie and Aldrea, whom you are familiar with."

"Nice." I said. "If I were to tell Cassie she had Hork-Bajir named after her, she'd be humbled and embarrassed."

"I mostly have been helping Quafijinivon with your vision. I have attempted to control several different versions, but they all had some sort of flaw. We should be able to have a perfected specimen soon, and then Laet will be free."

"How does Laet feel about the arrangement?" I asked.

Karig snorted. "It was his idea. Sometimes, if he has a desire to fly through the trees, I'll empty myself in my private yeerk pool and just chill out until Laet comes back for me. He always comes back."

"That's awfully trusting of your host."

Karig snorted again. "If he left me bodiless in my pool, that would a fair—" Karig began to cut himself down again when he stopped mid-sentence.

"What?"

Karig fidgeted like he was embarrassed. "Laet has asked me not to speak so negatively about myself."

I started laughing. "You two are so weird, you deserve your own TV show."

Karig laughed. "John and I did both enjoy 'The Odd Couple'"

"With all the free humans and hork-bajir running around, how many yeerks have you gotten to surrender?"

"Twenty-four, though I have no way of knowing whether it is true surrender or possible mutiny."

"I have some yeerk technology on my ship, the ones used for memory dumps. I can give you some of that."

"Thank you; that would be of great help to us."

"I also have nine yeerks who have surrendered to me. One is very enthusiastic about this. The others not so much. Maybe they'll be safer here."

"Hmmm, yes. Quite." Karig said to himself. He got up and headed to a panel on the wall. He touched a button and began speaking into the panel. "Nomar? Can I see you?"

A minute later, a neo-hork-bajir stood in the doorway. "Yes, Karig, you wished to see me?"

"Nomar Jaraket, will you please take some of your troops and a yeerk-case and follow Mr. Hunting to his ship. Collect the nine yeerks who have surrendered to our cause and transfer them to our yeerk pool. Mr. Hunting will also give you some technology. Deliver that directly to my quarters."

"Yes sir." Nomar said as he left.

"David Hunting, this is where we part for the night. I'm going to get that sleep that Quafijinivon so delicately recommended. The sun is about to set over our planet, it maybe time for you to sleep as well."

"Maybe. Good night, Karig." I said.

I made my way to the shuttle that would take me to where _Proteus_ was. I was met by Nomar Jaraket and three other Hork-Bajir. A Neo and a regular-hork-bajir (regular hork-bajir as a race I learned later were referred to as Unas) carried what looked like a cooler between them. We boarded the shuttle and I noticed what was conducting it. A Gedd.

"You've freed Gedd-controllers?" I asked Nomar.

"Yes, the Gedds are, in their natural state, far worse then are Unas cousins," Nomar explained, "but some, like Haw'ee here have benefited from Quafijinivon's treatments."

"rrr-You got rrr-that rrrr-right." Said the Gedd, whose name might be Haw'ee.

"You mutated them?" I asked.

"Only those that wanted it." Said Nomar.

We got to _Proteus_ and Nomar's troops took the nine yeerks. I handed Nomar an extra set of the yeerk memory dump technology. Then I went to bed.

We raced through the castle. I was falling behind the others. The Paladin rode atop a blue horse, but the horse had the head and tail of a dragon. A small gnome in jester's clothing was riding on the rump of the dragon-horse, giggling away. The witch with the pale features and the black garb floated along side the Paladin with her own magic. A small dark-skinned fairy flew about the Paladin.

"Dark Knight! Hurry! We must escape here!" the Paladin cried out to me.

Trolls appeared. Big, ugly, stone-skinned things. The trolls faced us and were about to charge when something dropped on them from the sky. It was a man with bird-like features. Legs like a bird, a head like a bird, but a torso and arms like a man. He had large wings sprouting out of his back. He carried a mace.

"Thank you, Avian." Said the Paladin.

"No problem." Said the Avian.

"We attack!" said the Paladin.

"This is insane!" said the gnome.

"Let's do it!" said the witch.

We began to attack the trolls. The Paladin crushed many a troll with is battle axe, his orange and black striped cape billowing in magnificence. His blue dragon-horse, dispatched trolls with its mighty tail. The Witch blasted the trolls with her violent, dark magic. The gnome fought acrobatically, confusing the trolls. The avian flew and bashed trolls with his mace. The Fairy dispatched the trolls with her harmless sleep enchantments or by bounding them with flowery vines.

I drew my gigantic, bejeweled sword and swung at the trolls. I would miss and hit the walls of the castle, removing chunks of stone.

"Be careful Dark Knight, you'll destroy us all!" warned the Paladin.

We vanquished the trolls and continued to make our escape. I saw a princess in an open and empty dining hall.

"I will go for the princess!" I said.

"Let us help you." Said the Avian.

"I will go alone." I insist.

"We must leave now." Said the Paladin as he rode away.

I entered the dining hall; I approached the princess, her white, royal robes hugging her curvy form. She looked at me, smiled, and laughed a bubbly laugh.

Then she turned into a pile of Yellow Sludge with an evil face! The sludge shot out its arms at me. I attempted to slice them off with my sword, but they kept coming. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around to face an amazon warrior. She had grey eyes and pale, blond hair. She threw a flying 'circle-thing' disc weapon at the sludge monster, driving it back. "Dark Knight, we must leave now." She said.

I followed her out when I heard the cries of the sludge monster. Inside the sludge monster, the real princess was trying to get out!

"Wait! I want to go back to the princess!" I cried out.

The amazon grabbed me. "No, stay with me!"

A blinding green light filled the hall. "David!" said the light.

I woke up. I looked around my quarters. I was in _Proteus_, my home.

"Whaaa." I said as I slowly pulled my brain from the quicksand of slumberland. "Ayla?"

"Yes, David, you told me to wake you when the sun rose. Point of interest, night is 13 hours here."

I shot up. "Really?" I asked. I'd slept for 13 hours? Then why did I feel so damn . . . . not rested? I remember having a dream, but I forgot what it was.

I got up, got dressed, and left the ship. The morning dew of the Hork-Bajir world smelled very nice, and around my ship there was activity. Neo and Unas Hork-Bajir were working. Humans and Gedds were also doing something. They appeared to be trying to get the attention of the others. As if some big announcement was about to be made.

I walked to the growing crowd and I approached a human man.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

"Mr. Hunting! Um, Hojerval'c Kasaldra has an announcement to make."

"$Good Morning, my fellow Hork-Bajir. Good Morning, friendly Gedds!$" started the neo Hork-Bajir in Galard, then switching to English, "Good Morning, friendly Humans. This is truly a good day for us. As you know, our home is under constant threat of attack from the unenlightened yeerks."

"Unenlightened?" I repeated. Man, they must have really bought in my idea.

"As such," Hojerval'c continued, "our great leader, Quafijinivon, is a little busy working on 'more important matters' to create suitable protectors for us."

'More important matters' got a few knowing chuckles from the mixed audience of humans, hork-bajir, and gedds. I realized that Quafijinivon must have told them about my Ultimate Solution.

"However, thanks to an appropriate template DNA sample supplied to us by the Animorph David Hunting," Hojerval'c continued, causing me to cringe at the reference to me as an Animorph. I didn't feel like I deserved to be called that, "the human Tony Mercer and I have lifted the burden off our beloved leader and solved this problem. Tony?"

"Thank you, Hojerval'c." Started the human named Tony Mercer, a black male in his fifties. "In the tradition of the monsters of Father Deep, I present to you: the Buffa-Titans!"

The ground shook as five figures came into view. The creatures were at least fifty feet tall! And they looked just like greek minotaurs. They stood on hooved legs about the size of tree trunks. They had a wispy buffalo tail and two humanoid arms. Their heads were completely buffalo, including horns.

What the hell did I start?

"Our friends: Hyperion, Koios, Romulus, Typhon, and Saturn!" Tony introduced as each Buffa-Titan stood at attention at the prompt of their individual names. Besides subtle height and build differences, the only way to tell them apart was what appeared to be colored ascots around their necks. Saturn wore orange, Hyperion wore blue, Koios wore yellow, Romulus wore purplre, and Typhon wore dark green.

What the fuck did I start?

The audience clapped and cheered and then went about their business. The Buffa-Titans just stood there looking around. The one called Koios seemed to be preoccupied with a tree branch directly above his head and kept pulling at it.

What did I do? I brought that Cape Buffalo here to fix him and keep him from morphing again, and I inspire some crackpot human scientist with alien technology to create monsters? I went to go talk to the human named Tony Mercer.

"Dr. Mercer, can I have a word with you?"

"Mr. Hunting." Tony greeted me. "My my. When they told us you were I child, I didn't believe them, but you don't look any older than my son."

I ignored his nostalgia and launched into a verbal attack. "What the fuck is the Frankenstein shit? What are you doing creating monsters like this?"

"We needed protectors." Hojerval'c answered as if he didn't understand why I was disgusted. "All the original DNA blueprints of the old monsters were destroyed. With the DNA from the buffalo, we were able to create new ones from scratch."

"If you needed protectors, build robots. Don't play God."

"David, as a fellow human you understand how technology is prone to misuse. They lack discernment. Now animals on the other hand . . ." Tony rationalized.

"Are these things even sentient?" I asked.

"Barely. They understand their purpose." Tony answered. "I thought you would approve. You, the designer of that rather ingenious creation our Leader is trying to engineer."

"No! That and this are two way different things. How the hell did you make five giants in thirteen hours?"

"It really isn't that hard." Hojerval'c said. "Age and maturation is relative. I myself, if I were a Unas Hork-Bajir, would still be only about two feet high, not the six feet I am now."

"Did Quafijinivon approve this?" I asked.

"We don't bother him for minor things."

"You call this minor?" I yelled practically hysterical. I'm always worried about the consequences of my actions. If I never brought Bone to this planet, Tony Mercer and the young neo Hork-Bajir would never have created these things. Is this the catalyst that destroys the Universe? Is this how I fulfill the prophecy of the Beast? Not by playing God myself, but by inspiring others to play God?

"I want to talk to Quafijinivon." I insisted.

"The Leader is still experimenting. We are not to disturb him." Hojerval'c said.

"Fuck that. Let me speak to him."

A few minutes later I was face to face with the last arn in the universe. "Quafijinivon! Do you know what your lab monkeys have done?"

"No, I don't. I can't keep track of them when I'm spending all my time trying to engineer _your_ Ultimate Solution, especially when I'm distracted by a simple, but time-consuming chore given to me by _you_, which, by the way, was a complete success." Quafijinivon answered laying the snide a little. He then switched to sarcasm. "Don't worry, no thanks are necessary. You're welcome."

"Sorry. It's just that, they've just created five sentient monsters to be used as basically living shields against the Yeerks. I mean, what did you start?"

"Me? This is all your fault!"

"My fault? How is this _my_ fault? I've been on Earth."

"The Neo Hork-Bajir found out what I was working on and they became inspired to help carry out _your_ vision. They were suddenly overwhelmed with the notion that it was their job to 'enlighten' the yeerks to the new way. To end the war. It wasn't my idea to turn this place into a refugee camp for every _ruttin_ alien the yeerks happen to lose. It was _you_ that inspired that. I just wanted to create a little group of Hork-Bajir warriors to give them just a _little_ chance to claim their planet back, but no! You had to seduce me into making your Ultimate Solution which has turned my humble band of freedom fighters into some intergalactic Underground Runway."

"I think you mean Underground Railroad."

"Whatever!"

"This is all my fault." I realized.

"You say that like this is a bad thing." Quafijinivon said, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I'm just worried about what this will do in the long run. I mean, have we really considered what this will do? We're going to turn yeerk against yeerk."

"It's too late now. You've set the wheels in motion. Besides, even if it was your idea, it's not your call to make. This is not your planet, human. It belongs to the Hork-Bajir."

"I guess you're right." I said. "So, you fixed the Buffalo?"

"Yes."

Good, now it can't morph anymore.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Quafijinivon sighed in annoyance. "Yes, of course I'm sure. He was able to acquire and morph a number of animals without problem."

"Wait . . . what? What do you mean he's morphing? Why's he morphing?" I asked.

"I don't understand. You told me that he was not sentient so he couldn't control his morphing, so you wanted me to . . . ."

"Take away his morphing power!" I said.

" . . . . . . oh." Quafijinivon said. "Oops."

"What 'oops'?"

"I misunderstood. I thought you meant that he was not sentient and couldn't control his morphing. So I . . . . . ." Quafijinivon wavered, ". . . . made him sentient."

"What!" I screamed.

Just then, two Buffa-Titans came into the lab. They were smaller versions of the five giants I had met earlier, only about 7 feet tall. Still, they were humongous enough.

The two 'Mini-Titans' were wrestling and fighting roughly. They were identical. One had a lime green ascot on. The other had no ascot. I guessed that one was Bone.

What did they do to him?

Bone knocked the Mini-Titan down violently and the defeated beast did not rise.

((Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!)) said a thought-speech voice. ((You Lose! I am Master!))


	62. Galaxy Tour II: The New Herd

Boy, Full Sail's Film Program is tough. Happy Holidays, everyone. There's lots of talkie-talkie in this chapter. Hopefully they'll be an action chapter before the new year (2007).

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((Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!)) said a thought-speech voice. ((You Lose! I am Master!))

I stood there horrified. Quafijinivon made Bone sentient. What kind of . . . . . _person_ was Bone? Has this once peaceful animal turned into some brutish, violent monster?

"Bonehead, I've asked you not to play in my lab." Quafijinivon said sternly, but calmly.

((Sorry, Quaffy.)) Bone replied.

"And don't call me that!"

((Yes, Quaffy.)) Bone answered back. ((Toadie? Are you okay?))

"Toadie . . . . . ow." Said the other Mini-Titan on the floor.

((Oh, goodness.)) Bone said as he made a laughing sound with his Mini-Titan mouth. ((Let me help you up.)) Bone extended his humanoid arm to the fallen Mini-Titan whose name is probably Toadie. Toadie took his arm and was pulled to his hooves.

Brutish, yes. Violent? Not so much.

Tony Mercer entered the lab. "I see you've met the new and improved Bonehead von Buffalo."

"How'd you know that was his name?" I asked.

Tony Mercer looked at me as if I were an idiot. "He told us."

((Whoa! Boss!)) Bone suddenly yelled in thought-speech. Bone looked right at me and sprinted toward me.

When you see a buffalo running toward you, you're supposed to run away. When you see an anthropomorphic buffalo running at you with all the restraint of a five-year-old, you run away faster. I, however, only managed to back up a few steps before Bone came up to me and put his massive body-builder arms around me.

((Hiya, Boss! It's nice to see you. Do you like the new me??? My head feels so much clearer! It's all fixed!))

Bone was squeezing me very tightly. "Bone . . ." I eeked out.

((Yeah, Boss?))

"Put me down!"

((Sorry. I'm not used to having arms. I better demorph now.)) Bone said as he released me. I watched as the Mini-Buffa-Titan shrank to become a regular Cape Buffalo.

Of course, how 'regular' was up for debate.

"That was just a morph?" I asked.

"Yes." Answered Mercer. "We created Toadie the Mini-Buffa-Titan as our go-between for the Buffa-Titans. Bone must have acquired and morphed Toadie."

"Son of a bitch, it's like the Planet of Dr. Moreau in here."

Bone, in his own body, walked up to me. ((Hey Boss!))

"Are you talking to me?" I asked him.

((Duh.)) Bone replied.

"Well, what is it, Bone?"

((I'm hungry! There's no grass down here!)) Bone whined as he tossed his head about.

"Toadie will take him to valley." Toadie offered.

((I'll race ya!)) Bone challenged Toadie.

"No racing down here!" Quafijinivon quickly commanded.

((Ooooooh.)) Bone whined disappointedly.

Bone and Toadie left the lab and I stood there with a fixed look on my face.

"He's a kid!" I finally said.

"What did you expect, for him to come out quoting _MacBeth_?" Mercer replied to me flippantly.

"He's a child!"

"Technically, so are you."

"Don't give me that shit, Mercer. You know what I'm talking about. I just wanted you to take away his morphing power, not make him . . . . that!"

"If that's what you wanted, why didn't you just trap him in the morph of another Cape Buffalo?" Quafijinivon asked me.

Oh crap. He was right. That would have been a hell of a lot simpler.

"Uhhh, ummm, well still!" I stammered. "With the Buffa-Titans, and Toadie, and now Bone, what do you plan on doing with them?"

"Mercer? Those monsters are _your_ creation." Quafijinivon said with a glance to Mercer.

"The Buffa-Titans and Toadie are meant for our protection. As for Bonehead . . . . I'm not sure what you're asking us for." Mercer said glancing at me.

"Me? I can't take him. You want me to take that five-year-old freak back to Earth. What is he supposed to do there?"

"Fight the bad guys?" Mercer weakly supplied.

"'Bad Guys'??" I repeated incredulously. "What Bad Guys?"

"I don't know. It's practically the only thing he's talked about since the treatment took."

"Why don't you ask him?" Quafijinivon suggested annoyed as he got back to work.

I found Toadie and Bone up top on the grass field near _Proteus_. As I approached, I 'heard' Bone singing something in thought-speech.

((_Hork-Bajir grass is yummy. Hork-Bajir grass is yummy_.))

This was going to feel ridiculous.

"Ummmm, Bone?" I prompted.

Bone stopped grazing and lifted his head to look at me. ((Yes, Boss?))

Why did he call me Boss? "So, um, now that . . . your head is fixed, what do you want to do?"

((I want to fight the Bad Guys with you!))

"What Bad Guys?"

((The Bad Guys that tried to blow up me and Big Sister. The Bad Guys who like to crawl into peoples' brains and use them like slaves. You know, Bad Guys. Yeerks.))

"Not all Yeerks are Bad Guys, and not all Bad Guys are Yeerks."

Bone cocked his head at me. ((Whoa, that's interesting, Boss. I never thought about that. Good thing I have you to tell me what to do.))

"Bone, it's very dangerous where I'm going . . . ."

((I know that. First Home was a very dangerous place. Have you ever ran from a Queen Cat when you barely knowed how to walk? Huh? I don't think so! Stupid Queen Cat ate my Mommy.))

"Are you talking about a lioness?" I asked incredulously. Did Bone have memories from before 'his head was fixed'?

((Mommy and Daddy and I and the rest of the herd drinking from the stream, minding own business when 'RAWR!' buncha Queen Cats go lunchtime!))

"Bone, the Bad Guys you want to fight are a lot more dangerous than queen cats."

((I'm more dangerous than Queen Cats now! I can morph!)) Bone insisted. ((Hee-Hee-Hee.))

"Bonehead fights hard in Toadie-form!" Toadie supplied.

"Bonehead," I started, "maybe you should stay here. With Toadie and creatures more like you."

I could swear I saw sadness in his big Cape Buffalo eyes. ((But, Home is home. Hork-Bajir planet isn't home.))

"Home is wherever you make it. This could be home if wanted."

((I know that too, Home used to be pretty savannahs. Then Home was a bunch of cages or big weird fields where it never rained, and humans looked at me all day. Then I stepped on that blue rock and my head got fixed for the first time when I turned into a human!)) Bone recounted.

Bone's odd perception of what happened to him was innocent like a child, but still . . . very insightful.

((And that's when I met Big Sister. She was sweet and nice. She said I was good. She also had dark skin like the humans that lived around First Home.))

Africans? Cassie! Big Sister was Cassie.

((Big Sister and her herd fought the Bad Guys. I want to fight the Bad Guys too, Boss!))

"Ok, my name is not 'Boss'; it's David. And Big Sister's name is Cassie."

((And my name is Bonehead von Buffalo!)) Bone proudly proclaimed.

"I know what your name is Bone. I gave it to you."

((No, you didn't. Pretty Lady did.))

Gee, I wonder who Pretty Lady was.

((I want to be in your herd.)) Bone continued.

I signed in exasperation. "Bone, you can't join my herd," I said as I started to walk away, "I don't have a herd, and you can't join Cassie's herd, because, well . . . . you just wouldn't fit in."

((You're not in Big Sister's herd?)) Bone asked back.

I turned around expecting to have to yell to where I left Bone, but he and Toadie had followed me while I walked. "No, I told you: I don't have a herd."

Bone cocked his head in what I think was an expression of confusion. ((No herd? That's silly, Boss! Everyone has a herd!))

_How do I explain this?_ I thought to myself. "When you lived in your First Home, did you ever see humans, by themselves?"

((During the Sun's time, I would see humans by themselves. Sometimes they carried weapons and went after hoof animals.))

"Ok." I sighed, satisfied that he understood me now.

((But when it was Moon's time, they'd go back to their herds.)) Bone added. ((Don't you have a herd to go back to, Boss?))

Did I? I alienated my family. I alienated the Animorphs. "No, I don't."

((I'll be in your herd, Boss!!!)) Bone loudly (in thought-speech) proclaimed.

"Toadie too! Toadie too!" Toadie added.

"No, No! Toadie, your herd is here, and Bone, your herd can be Toadie's herd. You like Toadie, right? His home can be your home."

((No.)) Bone yelled, defiantly. ((Home is where the savannahs are. And where Big Sister and her herd is. And Pretty Lady. And you!))

I tried walking away, but Bone followed me. ((Especially you, Boss. You don't have a herd!))

I reached the door to _Proteus_ and walked in. "I don't need a herd, Bone." I said as I turned around to direct that to Bone, but he was gone. Toadie, on the other hand was sitting down staring intently at a flower.

I rolled my eyes and closed the door to _Proteus_. I was relieved to be rid of Bone, but I wondered where he ran off to so quickly.

I was halfway to the bridge when Ayla spoke to me. "What was all that about?"

"Oh, Bone? Yeah, he's sentient now. He has the personality of a kindergartener to boot. He wants to join me to fight 'the Bad Guys'."

"So, why not?"

"'Why not?' What the hell am I supposed to do with the Baby Huey with Horns? How am I supposed to destroy an empire from the inside out and save millions if not billions of lives while babysitting a giant with a Superman complex?"

"You were saying earlier how you were afraid that you would do something terrible again." Ayla replied back to me. "That you fear yourself more when you're alone. Maybe the solution is to not be alone anymore. To have someone to hold accountability to."

"I'm supposed to hold myself accountable to a toddler in a monster's body?" I said as I entered the bridge. "You're as bad as the buffalo. I don't need a herd."

((Yes, you do, Boss.))

"What? Who said that? Bone?" I replied startled. "Are you in morph?"

((Umm, I don't know.)) Bone quickly replied.

"Bonehead von Buffalo! Get out here and demorph, right now!" I yelled. As a chadoo glided on its small feathery wings to the floor and began to change shape, I turned my guns of annoyance at Ayla. "Why didn't you tell me there was a morph on my ship?"

"You didn't ask." Ayla responded with fake-innocence-and-surprise in her voice.

Bone finished demorphing. I don't know how, but I swear his giant, bovine head was giving me puppy-dog eyes. I felt a little uneasy at berating something that could gorge me with a head flip, but Bonehead was acting like a spoiled, pissy, little ingrate.

I wonder if I annoyed the Animorphs this much when I first joined them.

"Bonehead, never, and I mean, never sneak on my ship without my permission. You got that?"

((Excuse me, Mr. Hunting, but unless you're the Boss of my herd, I don't have to listen to you.)) Bone snottily replied turning his giant buffalo snout up at me.

I was searching my memory for any morph I had that could possibly brain a buffalo when Ayla warned me a lone Hork-Bajir approaching the ship.

"Neo or Unas?" I asked.

"Neo. Male." Ayla replied.

I left Bone at the bridge and told him not to follow me. Naturally after a few seconds I heard the CLOP-CLANG of heavy hooves walking on metal floors. Disobedient brat.

I opened the outer door to see a male neo Hork-Bajir looking at me. His eyes were downcast and he hung his neck low as to not appear so much taller than me. He was the normal Hork-Bajir height around the area of seven feet. His frame was a little bit larger than most, but no where near Ursa Wulvef-size. His skin was a dark blue-ish purple and his horns and blades were blue-tinged. "Mr. Hunting?"

"The one and only." I flippantly greeted him.

"My name is Babylon Skorre, and I . . . ." He started.

"Wait, your name is Babylon?"

"Yes. I named myself after an ancient human civilization . . ."

"I know what it is, Hork-Bajir! What's your business here?" I yelled at him, frustrated. Too many things have not gone my way. Maybe _I_ was the spoiled brat.

"When you leave the planet, I would like to go with you."

((He could join our herd, Boss! Please?))

"Bone, shut up." I scolded the Buffalo as I then addressed the Hork-Bajir. "Absolutely not."

"I would be your servant if it pleases you."

_Yes, that's a great idea. Give the megalomaniac a slave. _"It most certainly does NOT please me. What would please me is if you would please leave and please take the stubborn buffalo with you. Now if you please!" I said as I heard the familiar sounds of flesh and bone reshaping behind me. Bone was morphing. "Do I have a sign on my ship that says 'We Accept Strays'?"

"You have a large ship with no crew. Surely, you could use some help."

"Why does everyone in the fucking universe wants to either kill me or help me? It seems for the last sixteen Earth months the only thing that no one seems to be capable of is leaving me the fuck alone!!!! And at the risk of sounding like every buddy-cop movie I ever saw, I work best alone."

"That's not what you were saying yesterday, David." Ayla chimed in.

"Ayla, shut up!" I yelled as I turned back to Babylon. "If you think you can get the morphing power from me, you're wasting your time. I don't have an Escafil Device."

"I don't need the morphing power to fight. I just want to get out of here." Babylon pleaded.

"Why? This is your home. You were born here. Believe me; you don't understand how precious that is until you don't have one. You were made to protect your home, and this is your home."

"But it is not my fate!" Babylon insisted. "My fellow Hork-Bajir, both Unas and Neo, Quafijinivon, the humans and gedds we've freed, even the enlightened yeerks who wait patiently for the next step in their destiny are tending to the tree that grew from the seed that _you_ planted. I don't want to tend to that tree. I want to plant more seeds!"

"And you think you can do that with me?"

"I want to travel the universe." Babylon's eyes lit up like a high school graduate.

"Do I have a sign on my ship that says 'Star Tours'?"

"You planted this seed and you can plant more, David Hunting. Don't you know what impact you will have on the universe?" Babylon ranted.

I became very edgy right then and I put a forceful hand on Babylon's chest. "I know more than you think. More than you or anyone does. More than I should. So you shouldn't talk about things you don't know anything about." I spat out at him. "Go away, and take the buffalo with you."

I turn around expecting to see Bone in the morph of some animal native to this planet, but who I saw was Quafijinivon. 'Quafijinivon' looked up at me with a strange expression of superiority. As pissed as I was at this constant harassment from him and Babylon, I felt most of my rage disappear as I stifled a chuckle.

"Bone . . ." I started.

"I'm not Bone. I'm Quafijaynovin." Bone replied in near-perfect English. So to speak.

Ayla broke in with an alert. "David, I'm detecting a Dayang encrypted distress call."

"You mean Quafijinivon?" I lightly corrected Bone.

"That's what I said, Quafifineejo." Bone continued. "I'm very old and smart and I say you should take that handsome, strong buffalo that is nowhere in this room and that Hork-Bajir and whoever that voice is and start a herd to fight the Bad Guys."

"That's what you think, huh?" I asked as I tried harder to stifle my amused laughter. _Do not encourage this behavior. Do not laugh! _But I also felt I needed a good laugh after lashing out at Babylon.

"Uh-huh, and you should listen to me, because I'm Quaffy the Last Arn, and I'm old and smart and stuff." Bone lifted his feathered arms over his head in the gesture of 'proclamation' I've seen Quafijinivon do.

I wanted to yell in anger at him, but all that came out was a snorting laugh. "Bone, get off my ship." I finally said softly.

((Oh, Hyena Turds!)) said a dejected Arn as he walked out of _Proteus_. Babylon looked behind him at me as he walked away.

The nerve of that Hork-Bajir to invite himself to my ship. Why the hell did he want to join up with me for? They must think I'm some sort of George Washington. More like Fidel Castro.

"He's cute." Ayla commented. "Can we keep him?"

I ignored her. "Ayla, what's this distress call?"

"It's coming from Gianna Draquen, the Dayang Home World." Ayla announced. "It's asking for any available combat ready Dayang Traders to call back."

"Well, let's see if they'll talk to me. Phone 'em." I commanded.

A Dayang face appeared on my communication screen. I face I recognized.

"First Mate Hollin?"

"$That's 'Captain Hollin' and who is this? David Hunting? The Morph Human? How did you answer this call?$" Hollin demanded in Draque, his native language.

Hollin was an adult Dayang with red hair. I met him and other Dayangs when the Ellimist dropped me right in the middle of his ship named _Rogin Gavic_. We didn't like each other at first, but in our own separate ways, we saved the ship from both the back-stabbing yeerks and her greedy Captain, Gwarver.

"I discovered the secret of Dayang Encryption." I explained in my native language. The Dayangs implanted in me a translator device that deciphers languages. That's how we understand each other and how I understand many aliens. "You nearly handed it over to the Yeerks. I liberated it and kept it to myself. No need to say thanks."

Hollin's red, middle compound eye pulsed darkness and brightness as his tentacles curled into each other, a gesture of annoyance.

"$As much as this bothers me, you may actually be the best one to handle our problem. An Andalite diplomat recently came to our planet and while _Rogin Gavic_ is in port, I had the duty of accompanying them.$"

"What sparks this sudden interest of the Andalites in your planet?"

"$I'm not sure. The Andalites know we often deal with the Yeerk Empire. They may be trying to sway us to their side. Both sides are afraid of some new presence in the galaxy.$"

"Another species?"

"$An individual. Some psychopath that was able to capture morph-capable Andalites, two high powered Yeerk Vissers and a member of the Coucil of Thirteen! He killed one Visser and tortured the other. The Councilor escaped. They even say he can take away morphing powers. I'd be careful of this creature if I were you, David Hunting.$"

I felt a pit in my stomach. "So you don't know who or what this individual is?"

"$No, the Andalites are not keen to reveal his identity, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I really want to know a monster like that.$"

"No, I imagine not." I muttered softly. "What's the problem?"

"$The diplomat and one of his attendants have been kidnapped by morph-capable warriors.$"

"Other Andalites?"

Hollin's tentacles fell like a weeping willow tree. He hooked his main arms behind him and turned his eyes to the ground. These were all gestures of shame. "$Not Andalites. Dayangs.$"

"What?!" I yelped in surprise.

"$Six Dayangs have gained the power to morph. They didn't appear until after the Andalite diplomat came. Now neither the Diplomat nor the attendant that was captured have the morphing power.$"

"Were there other Attendants?"

"$One other. At the time of the kidnapping, he was arrested for being in a restricted area in one of our defense camps. We've imprisoned him in a Ramonite Box; he won't be going anywhere, but he's not very talkative.$"

"Wait'll he gets a load a' me." I said, doing a very bad John Wayne impression. "What about the morphers? Are you sure they're Dayangs?"

"$Yes. The leader is Gwarver Passay-039.$"

"Your former captain of the _Rogin Gavic_? Him? You told the Yeerks he was executed."

"$How did you—, well, if you were listening in on that transmission, you'd have realized everything I said was a complete lie. You didn't help Captain Gwarver sabotage a Blade Ship, nor did I ever plan on dealing with Visser Three directly again.$"

Gwarver's tentacles spun around in circles, a gesture of revulsion.

"So how did they get the morphing power?"

"$We don't know, but it must have something to do with the lone attendant we've arrested. We need to get answers from him, but he's being uncooperative. And time is something we can not afford to waste. Gwarver and his morphers have been terrorizing us for only a week, and they've caused so much damage. Will you help us, David Hunting?$"

"Sure. No problem. Over and out." I said solemnly as I ended the transmission. I just wanted to go home, but I can't ignore the problem I've created on Gianna Draquen.

"So . . . . . I take it we're not rushing back home just yet." Ayla said.

"It's my fault, Ayla." I explained. "If it weren't for me, Andalites would have never come to that planet, and then there wouldn't be those six morphing terrorists."

"You couldn't have foreseen this, David. The odds of something like this happening are . . ." Ayla began.

"Don't bother me with the odds. I will go to Gianna Draquen. I will take out these terrorists. I can take on six morphing novices. In another timeline, I nearly defeated the Animorphs."

"'Nearly' being the operative word here. And I suppose as statistical precedent would dictate, you're going to handle them alone?" Ayla computed.

"I'm the person I trust the most."

"You're also the person you hate and fear the most." Ayla countered.

"What are you getting at, Ayla?"

"If you're so confident you can defeat six morph-capable warriors yourself, than perhaps you could tilt the odds more in favor with . . . . an extra ally," Ayla stammered, "or allies."

I grunted in frustration. "For the last time Ayla, I'm not taking the buffalo and I'm not taking that overeager Hork-Bajir."

"What about the whole 'afraid to be left to your own devices' thing?" Ayla reminded me. "If you take Bonehead and Babylon, you'll be getting people for whom you'll have to hold yourself accountable."

"Or I'll be getting two willing followers who don't know any better." I shot back. "Bone's too mentally young to understand what's going on, and who knows what Babylon's motives are?"

"That's worthy of an investigation." Ayla suggested.

"Ayla, every moment I take to investigate here, those Dayang bandits are causing chaos half the galaxy away. I don't need anyone to help take them. I've sort have done this before."

"Right. Your alternate self." Ayla said. "Let me ask you this, Captain Hunting, is the David that nearly defeated the Animorphs in that timeline the David you want to be now?"

Minutes later, I walked outside and found Babylon talking to a Neo Hork-Bajir I recognized as Nomar Jaraket. I asked Nomar to take me to Karig, the Hork-Bajir-Controller. He stuttered and then complied. Karig's quarters were in the stony ruins of the Arn civilization. Nomar actually managed to get lost a few times, so I guess that answers how smart the Neo Hork-Bajir really are.

Nomar and I arrived at Karig's quarters. Karig's quarters looked surprisingly sparse. One side of the room had a deep stone basin jutting out of the wall with metal appliances attached to it. That side also had a human-made desk with a Yeerkish-looking computer. The other side had only a large potted oak tree. I wondered where they got the oak tree from. Karig was hanging upside-down from a limb on the oak tree, eating some bark.

"Um, Karig, can I talk to you?"

"No Karig. Just Laet." The Hork-Bajir answered me as he drew his attention back to the piece of bark he was eating and took another bite. Laet Caffej was Karig's host. I guess Laet had his own head for the moment.

"Where's Karig?" I asked Laet.

Without taking his gaze off of the bark he was eating, Laet pointed to the stone basin across the room.

"Can I speak to him please?" I pressed.

Again, without taking his eyes off of his snack, Laet flipped off the branch he was hanging from and casually walked across his room to the stone basin. Without looking at them, he pressed some buttons on one of the appliances attached to the basin as he popped the rest the bark he was eating in his mouth at once. He then proceeded to lick his hand. I do the same thing with tortilla chips. Thankfully, he used his other hand to pick up Karig the Yeerk from the basin and place it to his ear.

When Karig took control he looked at the hand his host was just licking and grimaced.

"I know it's his body, and I shouldn't complain," Karig said he walked back toward the oak tree and used some leaves to wipe his hand, "but that's so disgusting. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"A Neo Hork-Bajir came up to me and asked to join me as I go back to Terra Firma." I explained.

"Just one?" Karig asked. "I'm surprised the whole lot of them didn't rush to be on your crew. You're a legendary figure of great adventure to them. You're like a Paul Bunyan or a Heracles. Several of the Neo Hork-Bajir have named themselves some derivative of David or Hunting. Was it one of them?"

"No, it was a guy named Babylon. Babylon Skorre?"

"Babylon Skorre?" Karig repeated with a concerned look on his face.

"Why? What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing. That we can find." Karig began. "It's just that, Babylon is the last of . . ."

Karig leaned against the oak tree and got comfortable. Nomar decided he wanted to hear the story and began to lean on the wall behind me. Karig started again. "When I first arrived here and found Quafijinivion and his rebel group, there were eight broods of his artificially grown Neo Hork-Bajir and the first two broods were in different stages of reproduction. Myself and some of the freed human scientists wanted to lift the burden from Quafijinivon's shoulders and prepare the new broods so that he could work on your ultimate solution. One of them, Brood 10, had a problem.

"The artificially grown Hork-Bajir become fully mature in two weeks as opposed to the two and half years it usually takes. Brood 10 matured fine, but after those first two weeks, they began to get sick. Their bodies had begun to breakdown. Their organs would liquefy and then their bone and muscle would dissolve into powder."

"Son of a bitch." I muttered.

"The worst part was . . ." Karig continued.

"That's not the worst part?"

"The worst part," Karig continued again, "was what was leftover from their bodies would release a noxious gas into the air that kills pretty much anything it came into contact with. That's why the scientist that was responsible for Brood 10 is no longer with us."

"Yuck."

"Once we discovered the problem, we put the remaining members of Brood 10 in individual quarantines. They all died within four weeks," Karig explained, "except one."

"Babylon?"

Karig nodded his hork-bajir head. "During his quarantine, he showed absolutely no signs or symptoms of the degeneration disease. He did however become increasingly combative and by his eighth day in, he was raving things. Insane things."

"So Babylon used to be crazy." I bottom-lined.

"Could you blame him? Trapped in a twenty by twenty capsule, hearing and watching your fellow hork-bajir die a horrible death behind thick plastic so the gas wouldn't hurt anyone?"

"But if he went nuts after only eight days, how many of his fellow brood did he actually watch die while sane?"

"Just one. And they weren't close." Karig admitted. "He's fine now. After Quafijinivon decided he wasn't going to unleash a toxic gas and kill us all and that the only danger he was to us was that he was gedd-shit crazy, we released him. We injected him with enough tranquilizers to kill a Clydesdale first, but we released him. After a few days of eating his favorite barks and for the tranq to wear off he was fine. Although, when we put him back on combat detail he would act reckless and suicidal."

"Why?"

"He might think he is still going to die of the degeneration disease someday, and the members of Brood 10 who died unnaturally didn't become poisonous gas clouds, so maybe he was trying to protect us. Still, we took him off combat detail and he eventually found his place helping the human refugees grow Earth plants."

"Earth plants?"

"Apple trees. Orange trees. Or this oak tree here." Karig explained. "Also a vegetable and spice garden."

"So how has he been lately?"

"From what I hear, fine. The humans say he is very calm and considerate of others. They also say he can be stubborn, cranky, and one-track minded. The Hork-Bajir consider him 'smart', which is just average intelligence to a human, no offense."

"None taken."

"He likes gardening, especially Earth produce; which is odd, because he doesn't eat any of it."

"He did use a lot of plant metaphors when he talked to me."

"He's never shown any desire to leave the planet though." Karig said in a confused tone, half to me, half to himself. "Are you gonna take him?"

"Why should I? He's a walking time bomb of lethal gas, and he could go monkey-nuts on me at any point." I rationalized.

"What about the buffalo?" Karig asked me. "I hear he wasn't what you expected."

"There was a miscommunication in that regard. I had a morph-capable buffalo. I wanted a non-morph-capable buffalo. What I got was a morph-capable buffalo with the mind of a three-year-old after watching too much 'He-Man'. Sometimes I envy Bone. He comes from Africa which is a very ecologically hostile place. He remembers lionesses eating his mother. Yet he still thinks of his life in the savannahs fondly. Because of the morphing power, he can never go back to being an ordinary cape buffalo and he's been thrust into an intergalactic war. Yet, he thinks this is the best thing that ever happened to him."

"Bonehead von Buffalo reminds you of innocence." Kirag deduced. "And if you regarded Babylon with any kind of seriousness, you'd see he represents the wonderfully precarious dichotomy of strength and fragility."

"That was a whole lot of SAT words there, Yeerk. Bravo." I joked.

"My point being you should take those kind of reminders with you, just so _The David Hunting Show_ never gets renewed."

Oh, crap. "You saw that?"

"We received the signal. Not everyone has seen it. Quafijinivon has seen it. I've seen it. The Hork-Bajir and Humans we've put in positions of power have seen it. Nomar, you've seen it, right?"

Nomar shook his head suddenly. "What?"

"As Captain of the Guard for the Deep Base, you've been shown the pirate transmission with Mr. Hunting, right?"

"Uh . . . yes?" Nomar stammered. "No?"

"Nomar, what's wrong with you?" Kirag asked, concerned for Nomar's apparent weirdness. "Do you remember seeing the video signal with Mr. Hunting capturing the yeerks and the Animorphs?"

Nomar turned his head suddenly to me. "Mr. Hunting put Big Sister's herd in a cage???!!"

"'Big' who?" Kirag asked.

"What did you just say?" I asked suspiciously.

"Um, uh, I didn't say anything. In fact, I don't speak Human-English." 'Nomar' babbled. "And I've certainly never met any Animorphs, especially Big Sister, I mean . . . Ms. Cassie, I mean . . . oh, hyena turds."

Bonehead von Buffalo strikes again.

"Bone, I'm not going to tell you again. Demorph now, and this time, stay in your own body!" I commanded.

((In my defense, I was minding my own business talking to Babylon, when you came up to me and told me to take you here.)) Bone argued as he demorphed. ((It wasn't until halfway through Kirag's boring story that I figured out you thought I was Nomar.))

"'Boring'?" Kirag repeated, offended by Bone's lack of tact.

"Why were you in Hork-Bajir morph?" I asked Bone.

(( . . . Cause.)) Bone replied as if that was an explanation. ((But did you hear Kirag? He said you should take me and Babylon!))

"This is so not the time to discuss that!" I yelled, furiously at Bone. "Now, go up to the field."

((Ok)) Bone said as he began to morph.

"No," I stopped him, "in your own body."

((But . . . the slope is all steep and difficult and four legs is harder than two legs.))

"All the more reason you should practice. Go!"

Bone stopped his two forelegs on the floor. ((But I didn't even do anything wrong!!!))

I was about to yell at Bone for throwing a temper tantrum when Karig started laughing.

"Ha Ha Ha. We sure did a number on you, Boy." Karig said as he stroked Bone's head. After a few strokes, his hand stopped and just rested on the top of Bone's forehead. I looked at Kirag and his eyes were half-closed.

Bone was acquiring him! He was doing the exact same thing he did when he wasn't sentient. Only this time, he should know better.

"Bone, what're doing?" I demanded.

((Nothing.)) He answered meekly. Kirag's eyes then opened fully as he came out of the acquiring trance.

"Did you just acquire Kirag's host?" I asked him intensely, trying not to yell at him.

((Maybe.)) He quasi-admitted.

I flash-morphed into Ursa Wulvef. My hand became fist as I raised it. I then brought it down quickly on Bone's head.

((Owww!)) Bone yelped surprised, more shocked that I hit him than the pain of the hammer blow which to a buffalo was about as damaging as a slap.

I knelt down and looked into Bone's eyes. Even in Ursa's body, Bone could have headbutted me into a three week coma, but he did no such thing. I grabbed both his horns with my strong Hork-Bajir arms and roughly pulled his head closer to me. Again, I'm not sure if Bone could have shook free of me, but I did it anyways.

((Never, Ever, EVER acquire a sentient person's DNA without their permission. Are we clear on that, Bonehead?)) I said to Bone strongly.

((Yes, Boss.)) He answered back.

I let go of his horns. ((Now, go to the field.))

Bone turned around without complaining and quickly trotted away.

"How odd." Kirag commented. "Bone is biologically an adult of his species, yet he is psychologically a child. And you, David, are the exact opposite."

((I didn't create this creature; the Animorphs did.)) I said as I demorphed.

"And yet, you're the one that brought him here where he was given complete sentience." Kirag added. "To a large herbivore like a Hork-Bajir or a buffalo, what you just did could be considered a dominance ritual."

"He knows what right and wrong means; he just doesn't know what things are right and what things are wrong." I realized. "He called me 'Boss' again."

"Someone has to teach him right and wrong." Kirag said; his implication was obvious. He was trying to convince me to take Bonehead with me, but after I realized how invested I was in Bone's new life I no longer needed convincing. "You're a tough and brutal disciplinarian, David Hunting."

"My father was a General in the US Army. This is something you wouldn't understand. Laet. Kirag. It was nice meeting both of you." I said as I left Kirag's quarters and made my way to the field.

I couldn't believe what I was getting myself into. A large part of me told me it was a bad idea for me, which probably meant it was exactly what I needed.

I found Bone in his own body talking to Babylon. I approached the two of them and addressed them by name.

"Bonehead von Buffalo. Babylon Skorre. My ship has rules. _Proteus_ is my home. Moreover, it'll be your home, I expect you to treat it as such. I'm the Boss. You're the crew. Crew is family and I'm the head of that family. Do as I say, we won't have a problem. If you don't, you better have a damn good reason. Not an excuse, a reason! Don't do anything crazy. Don't put the crew in danger. If you can do all that . . . . ." I said as I took one last breath, "welcome aboard."

((Yaaaaay!)) Bone shouted as he tossed his head up in what I think was happiness. ((We go back to Earth now, Boss?))

"No, our next stop is Gianna Draquen, the Dayang Home World. We have to stop a group of bad morphers. Bad Guys, but not Yeerks. Got it, Bone?"

((Got it.))

"I have some personal effects I'd like to bring along," Babylon told me, "including a rather harmless animal I keep as a pet. Would that be all right?"

"Sure, and see what you can do about getting some Earth plants for us and some Hork-Bajir plants for yourself. I have a place to plant them and we could be gone awhile." I said.

"Right away, Boss." Babylon said as we walked away.

_I need to not enjoy that so much_. "Hey, Babylon?" I called out.

"Yes, Boss?"

"Why'd you name yourself that anyway?"

"As a reminder. The Babylon civilization was once the center of the Earth. Now it is a just a memory."

**Nodnarb Three-Nine-Five**

My name is Nodnarb Three-Nine-Five. I am a yeerk. My current host is a burly male Hork-Bajir. My current designation is Blue Band Elite Guard for Councilor Four. My unit was recently wiped out by Andalites and Hork-Bajir under the "coercion" of Beast David Hunting, the Morph-Human. It was part of a nightmarish event all ready being sensationalized as "The Battle of the _Proteus_", "_The_ _David Hunting Show_" or simply, "The Flogging seen through the Galaxy" describing the humiliating torture of one of our most feared warlords: Visser Three. We tried our best to suppress its existence or deny its reality, but the various species beyond our immediate control made that difficult.

"Get it here! Get it here only!" shouted the Hawajabran vendor. "Get the complete recording of _The David Hunting Show_: Uncut! That's right; Complete and Uncut! The version the Empire doesn't want you to see! For only fifty units of _prescio_, you can have this piece of galactic history, available in all standard formats!"

I was with my charge, Councilor Four. He was also my good friend, Pietta zero-nine-double-nine lesser. He was the first lesser twin on the Council of Thirteen. His twin brother, Pietta zero-nine-double-nine prime was also a Councilor. I hated him, but that was personal, more personal than his twin's hatred of him.

We were waiting inside _Concord Skye_, a Skrit Na 'space station', if you could call it that. We were shrouded in robes as not to be recognized. This space station was more like a haven for black market merchants and illegal bootleggers, a concentration of galactic scum. It was run by the unscrupulous Boss Mug, a Na who fancied himself an intellectual. Boss Mug was something of a celebrity himself; like most Na, nothing he did made a lot of sense, but he was known for being especially frustrating, cunning, and had a penchant for talking in riddles.

Though, it appears that David Hunting may have stolen the collective galactic attention spans with his theatre of horror.

"Do you believe this, Nodnarb?" the Councilor asked me. "These lowlife soil merchants mock us and our great Empire. Hunting has made us look like fools."

"We're the fools for even thinking about dealing with this Bounty Hunter." I muttered.

"To kill a monster, we need a monster. No one knows what David Hunting's motives are, so no one can understand what he does or what he'll do next. Now, Tak's motives are greed and revenge. That's so much simpler to understand."

"I still say this is a bad idea, my Councilor."

"Nonsense. You're just saying that because he hated you and nearly killed you."

While that may have been true, I did not want the Councilor thinking I was a coward. "I just want to get this over with."

The Hawajabra are broad but short creatures, rarely over a human's height. They have two legs and a torso with shoulders that carry two arms each (one in front of the other) instead of one. Their arms end in three fingered opposable hands (2 to 1). Hawajabran do not have heads in the traditional sense as their faces are below their shoulders between large pectoral muscles, so it looks shoulder to shoulder like a big flat long line. They have short snouts that jut out like reptilian mouths or beaks. Hawajabran eyes are strange. They exist on stalks that sometimes pop out from below the collarbone on either side and sometimes they retract so far into the body it looks as if the Hawajabran has only little black dots for eyes. If I remember correctly, their ears are located above and below the base of each eye socket and covered with tufts of fur. Hawajawbran also have a semi-prehensile tendril that hangs on their backs from between the shoulder blades.

This particular Hawajabran Media Vendor was rust-red in color and three of his hands each held three different media formats, presumably copies of _The David Hunting Show_. His other hand was making showy motions as he continued to yell and gather customers of various species.

"Everyone remembers where they were when that pirate signal beamed into our ships, our space stations, even our very homes! Well now you can own your very own copy of this historic event. See the creature who defies the very Andalites who tried to save him, who defies the yeerks who tried to enslave him, who defies his own people because he just didn't like them! See how one flimsy, primitive alien makes the two mightiest forces of the galaxy cry like babies. See the creature the Yeerks call 'the Second Beast Elfangor!'"

(('Second Elfangor'?!!)) Came a loud thought-speech cry. Three Andalite warriors trotted into the room dispersing the Media Vendor's customers.

"Andalite Warriors." The Councilor whispered worriedly. "I've changed my mind. Perhaps we should leave now, before they see us, Nodnarb!"

"Let's not draw undue attention to ourselves, my Councilor." I rationalized while making myself look brave in the process. "Those Andalites have drawn enough attention at themselves and it won't be long before Boss Mug draws his attention on them as well."

((The Yeerks call this animal 'the Second Elfangor'?)) The lead Andalite said again as he sauntered closer to the Media Vendor. ((That is an insult to the memory of a fine, honorable warrior.))

((Prince Elfangor-Sirinal-Shamtul was a hero of the finest caliber.)) said the second Andalite. ((He answered to the People. He served the people.))

((This David Hunting is a monster, a backwater alien with stolen Andalite technology, he answers to no one, and he serves only himself.)) said the third Andalite.

((This is what I think of David Hunting.)) the second Andalite said as he drew his shredder and blasted all of the Media Vendor's goods.

"Nooooo! Stop!" the Vendor cried, but all that was left of his bootleg recordings were melted glass and plastic. "My media!"

((No one should ever profit from that Abomination's terrorism.)) said the first Andalite.

"You are going to pay for those, you blue, piss-drinking greed-mongers!" the Vendor yelled as he reached behind the molten pile of media software and pulled out a pike launcher. He aimed it at the lead Andalite.

The other Andalites were quick. They drew their shredders and aimed them at the Hawajabran. At this point all of the other patrons hanging around this particular hall of the Space Station either quickly exited or backed away from the four mad aliens and the three weapons between them.

"Fascist Andalite Filth." Councilor Four commented on this spectacle.

But I saw what everyone else had missed. "Wait for it . . . ." I baited.

The three Andalites were suddenly hit with small disks that electrified them. A Na rushed up to take the confused Hawajabran's pike launcher. Two more Na ran to the staggering Andalites and aimed Dracon Beams at them.

((Who dares attack us?)) the lead Andalite commanded.

"One cannot dare in his own cave." Said a Na's voice. "Supreme entitlement signifies law. Dares are done in strange caves. It is the Andalites who dare."

The Na speaking revealed himself from behind a door. It was Boss Mug. He walked in slowly on all fours as Na are known to do. He wore shiny purple robes. As he walked in front of the Hawajabran vendor, he stood up on his two hind legs.

"What laws are enforced here? I granted this merchant a license to sell his wares. Perfectly legal. There is no grass here. Do not deal dares, Andalites."

((As usual, I have no idea what you are saying, but this 'merchant' is making money off the suffering of others.)) the recovering Andalite charged. ((He is peddling illegal, obscene acts of torture.))

"YOUR TAILS ARE SHORT!" Boss Mug suddenly yelled as he picked up a half-charred copy of _The David Hunting Show_. He held the software close to his eye and continued. "Stars that burn bright grow big. Then quickly they emerge all their brightness in a fantastic vision of supreme brilliance. Just as quickly, the vision fades . . . into nothing. Supreme Brilliance of the past is today's Oblivion. Stars that don't burn as bright are still here."

The Andalites obviously had no more patience for Boss Mug's musing. ((We came for energy.))

"Energy?" Boss Mug asked as he signaled the Dracon Beam bearing Na. They herded the Andalites toward the large lifts that take patrons to the different levels of the Space Station. "Your shiny rocks may be bartered to sate your hooves."

((We came for . . . )) one of the other Andalites started.

"I heard you! Fortune has found the river _for you_." Boss Mug creepily muttered. He turned to whisper something into the grieved Vendor's ears and made his way on two legs back to the door from whence he entered.

He stopped short suddenly and whipped his gaze into our direction. He looked straight at us and narrowed his eyes, making both me and Councilor flinch. He turned his head back around, got down on all fours, and walked away.

"Skrit Na. They make even less sense than humans." Councilor Four commented.

"What about those Andalites Warriors?" I commented. "_Concord Skye _is pretty far from their usual 'grazing pastures'. What are they doing in this part of the galaxy, anyway?"

"One could ask the same of you, Yeerks!" hissed a voice behind us.

The Councilor and I turned our heads to face a standing, hooded form. He was taller than a Hork-Bajir. His long brown coat may have obscured his body, but there was no mistaking that sinister, devious, reptilian voice.

Tak Sistranus was a Gervasid, one of two sentient races from the planet Pentasera (the other being the S-s-stram). The militaristic Gervasids have been at almost constant war with the more peaceful and less dangerous S-s-stram. Gervasids have two legs and only two arms, but they are related to the S-s-stram. Tak's coat concealed all of his nasty, biological weapons and who knows how many manufactured ones.

Gervasids are deadly, dangerous creatures. Gervasids of the past had only one known weakness: they're tendency to overheat themselves after long periods of exertion. The S-s-stram did not have this problem; they have a small hole at the top of their heads which releases heat. This was their only advantage over their genetic enemies until the Gervasids solved the problem with medicine. Ironically, it was this heat-releasing hole that made it possible for us to infest the reptilian creatures, while the Gervasids remained a Class One species.

There are only a few Gervasids wandering around the galaxy. Tak Sistranus is by far the most dangerous.

I have a long, bitter history with the S-s-stram, the Gervasids, and especially, Tak himself, but I'd rather not go into it.

All that I was focusing on at that point is that Tak Sistranus once hunted me down and left me for dead.

"The Blade-tailed Overlords and you Populous-Absconding Brain-Slugs just reach further and further out every year." Continued the hooded Tak as he came up to our table and rested on his powerful tail as gervasids are known to do instead of actually sitting on stools as I was. "This arm of the galaxy is getting very crowded."

"They'll always be room for you and your kind, Bounty Hunter." Councilor Four schmoozed. "I am Councilor Four of the Council of Thirteen, the ruling body of the Yeerk Empire. It is the Empire that beseeches you to carry out this task on our behalf."

"Well," Tak Sistranus began, "before we discuss new business, let's settle old business."

Before I could blink, Tak stood up and whipped his powerful reptilian tail around my neck and pushed me to the table-top. Tak then jumped on the table and straddled me. He pushed his face into mine. Even then, I could barely see Tak's facial features within his dark hood, but I didn't need to. I see his face in my nightmares often.

At this, the second violent disturbance in this grand corridor in the last hour, many of the visitors decided that this was a bad part of the space station and high-tailed it. Despite my predicament I became worried that Boss Mug would show up again.

"Nodnarb!" Tak shouted at me. "Nodnarb three-nine-five, did you think I wouldn't smell you in that new body? Did you think I don't know or have somehow forgotten your odious yeerk stench? Nodnarb, the great Emperor of the Yeerk Empire!"

I grunted as I struggled to breathe in air as Tak's tail constricted my neck. "I'm not the Emperor anymore, La'ankike!" I spat back at him. 'La'ankike' is a derisive term for the type of hunter he was on his home planet.

"You back-stabbing body thief!" Tak accused. "You betrayed me!"

"Well," I began again, "since you were going to betray me as soon as we got rid of your blood-mad praetor for you, I guess that makes us even!"

A blade extended from what was probably a Naharan Defense Gauntlet on Tak's right arm. Tak put the blade against my throat. "I should have made sure I ended your miserable life all those years ago."

"You did end my life! I've spent these last long years trying to get it back from scratch. Same as you."

Tak laughed me. "How does it feel, Nodnarb? How does it feel to lose everything? I found it to be the most horrible pain I've ever felt (and coming from me, that says something), but in a strange way it was also quite . . . freeing."

"You're mad. It felt like feces."

Tak laughed at me again; his laugh was a throaty, airy thing like a hacking cough with hisses.

"Honorable Bounty Hunter, could you please release my Blue Band?" Councilor Four requested.

"Blue Band?" Tak repeated. "Are you trying to get back your old life or a new one, Nodnarb?" Tak laughed again as he released me.

"Perhaps some of Chelzub's Nectar will calm all of us so that we may do business." The Councilor suggested as motioned for the Liquor Vendor.

I sat back down on the stool as Tak rested on his tail again. The Na Liquor Vendor gave us three tall cups of a strong fermented drink known as Chelzub's Nectar. The Vendor tried not to notice the three tense hooded figures.

"You may be a councilor of a ruling body of blah blah blah," started Tak, "but I find you all manner of stupid. You insult me by bringing only one bodyguard. Said bodyguard happens to be a hated enemy, and to top it off, you come to me as a S-s-stram. You must know your host's people and my people don't get along well."

"Now you're insulting me and my intelligence, Bounty Hunter." Councilor Four said with a sneering smile. "My host heard stories of your viciousness, but also that you saved his princess from a Nitair, and even without my host's memories, there's everything you told my Blue Band back when he was Visser One. Then there's your post-exile exploits. You slaughtered the Hawajabran pirates of The Dark Zanto and sold their loot to Skrit Na. The Naharan Duchess of Crime, Sagevina, hired you to rob a Yeerk Imperial Train on her home planet. Boss Mug has even hired you for a few jobs, including the robbery of an Andalite Base on Rekklabb Five and the murder of a famous Na Scientist. I take it that one was personal? A former Visser Six hired you to assassinate a Dome Ship Captain and then those same Andalites hired you to assassinate that Visser Six. You seem to like playing both sides."

Tak growled as he took a swig of his drink. "I don't take sides. I hate Andalites, and I have no love for the Empire either. However if you can pay, then I'll do whatever chore you have, but it'll take more than best drinks that make you go blind to impress me."

"You've impressed us, Tak Sistranus. You're the best, and we need the best for this job. So for this job, I can both pay you and impress you." Councilor Four boasted. "Here is something that not even you have seen, Bounty Hunter." Councilor Four pulled out a Data Badge.

"That's a Yeerk Data Badge. I've seen one." Tak said flippantly.

"Ah, but see what it says." Councilor Four invited as he activated the badge.

"'Note of Transit'? 'By Order of the Council of Thirteen'?" Tak read aloud, flabbergasted.

"Yes, Tak, a Note of Transit. It cannot be rescinded, not even questioned, and you'll be able to go anywhere under Yeerk authority. Even through that little blockade around your home planet keeping your 'old friend' Koa Zanzor, on his damn rock. Everything you ever wanted is right here, Bounty Hunter. All you need to do is one little thing for us."

I was shocked. Allowing Tak to go back to his planet with advanced technology could have seriously backfired on us. Why would the Council have allowed this? Fools! They didn't know Sistranus like I did. Was eliminating the Morph-Human worth this?

The only other creature to cause us this much headache, besides Elfangor, was Koa Zanzor, the leader of the Gervasid Hunter Guild. When we came to seize the S-s-stram (with the Andalites on our trail), Koa used the opportunity to make the Hunter Guild the driving force of the Gervasid Nation. He was a fanatic who demanded not only his genetic enemies, the S-s-stram, be slaughtered, but all aliens as well. He exiled Tak Sistranus from the planet by shoving him into a small Andalite Probe Ship and sending it at full throttle into Z-space. (No one is sure how Tak escaped).

Because of him and his followers, the Andalites and the Yeerk Empire fled Pentasera together. Koa and his worship of his War-God Qayar proved to be an unreasonable evil that neither we nor the Andalites could stop. That's why the Yeerk Empire keeps a blockade of warships around Pentasera, just in case someone left any advanced technology for the Gervasids to use against us. Is David Hunting the same way? Is he an unstoppable evil that would consume both the Yeerks and Andalites?

The only good thing was that the offer had wiped that smug look off of Tak's face. Tak was staring hard at the Councilor. "All right, I'm impressed. I like the payment. What's the job?"

Councilor Four curled all five of his claws inward. "Tell me, Bounty Hunter: have you ever heard of David Hunting?"


	63. Galaxy Tour III: Childe of Quinz Haas

Here I was on Concord Dawn, one of the Skrit Na Home Worlds. Their original home world was destroyed millennia ago, and they've since established three new ones in addition to the myriads of space stations they have littered about the galaxy.

Concord Dawn was a popular one among traveling aliens. It was a bit like the Las Vegas planet of this galactic arm which is probably why my crewmember was here.

I was pissed. I gave him specific instructions, the ungrateful bastard. I pulled him from that hellpit he was from, saved him from death, gave him power, and he goes and does this.

I tracked him down to a brothel. I entered and saw male and female aliens of all types lying around in whatever is considered provocative clothing and/or poses from specie to specie. The House-Mister, a Male Na known as Ecanssianer, saw me and recognized me as 'David the Terrible'. He knew I wasn't there for him or his 'wares' and I was here to retrieve my crew member.

Ecanssianer took me to the room where my crewmember was. I morphed to Hork-Bajir and burst into the room. Three naked human girls (teenagers at best) burning a powdery drug in a bowl over a flame saw me and froze. The other naked female in the room was otherwise preoccupied. She was 'riding' my crew member: Aleks Stantford.

Aleks Stantford loves nine things: Drugs, guns, sex, drugs, guns, drugs, sex, blowing shit up, and drugs. A true American. But I gave him a direct order; he was supposed to be watching the _Anubis_ as Skorre, Ripper, and I did recon.

I yanked the Latina whore off Aleks by her hair and threw her to the ground.

"Hey! I was banging that girl!" Aleks yelled at me.

I grabbed Aleks by his throat with my strong Hork-Bajir hands and held his naked body against the wall. Aleks' four whores all hid behind a couch.

((I told you to guard the _Anubis_!)) I shouted at him.

"I put LaRouche on it! He and Sara and can handle it themselves. Get a grip!" He insubordinately shot back at me. I squeezed his neck harder. "Not what I meant."

((I gave you an order, Aleks. I when I give an order, I expect it to be followed without question.))

"Lighten up, David. I needed my fix and I needed some 'pleasurable company'. You could do with a little yourself, you know."

I released Aleks and demorphed. "What I need," I started, "is a second-in-command who will do as I say! Skorre found out that there are a lot of unregistered spacecraft headed to this planet. To me that says bounty hunters; what does it say to you?"

Aleks stood up and looked me in the eye, apparently unperturbed at his own nakedness. Aleks leered at his four whores and sat down on the couch near the cooking drug. He breathed in the fumes as his four whores crowded around him on the couch and started fondling him in various places. "Says to me we're in for some shit. Best way to prepare for that is some R&R. Come on, David. We're in a Concord Dawn brothel, full of guaranteed yeerk-free, grade-A, quality pink. Have a drink. Have a toke. Have some _faith_."

A short, blond girl wearing next to nothing sauntered into the room.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Faith." Aleks answered, garnering laughs from his four whores. "That's her name. I know you like 'em little and blonde."

"How old are you, girl?" I asked Faith.

"Thirteen." She chirped at me.

"Beggars can't be choosers, Cap'n." Aleks recited. Faith began to rub my member from the outside of my morphing suit.

"Don't you know who I am, girl?" I asked Faith again.

"You're David Taggart, Lord of the Antimorphs." She said as she continued to rub and began kissing my neck.

_No one ever quite described me like that_. I pushed down on Faith's shoulders and she went to her knees. She got the hint and pulled down the pants of my morphing suit.

"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Aleks cheered as he grabbed one of his whores, pushed her down on all fours, and got between her legs from behind. "Give it to her hard, Boss!"

_Boss?_

I pulled Faith off me by her hair. Everything stopped like the whole world was on pause.

"This isn't right!" I shouted.

Aleks, Faith, and everything disappeared and I appeared to be in a place the looked similar to Z-space, except I could breathe, and I wasn't looking at myself in _n_ dimensions.

A large black bird appeared. It had the body of a giant eagle, but the head of another bird: a raven.

"I show you a dimension where nubile young girls are just waiting to slob your knob, and you throw it out." Said the Raven. "The curse of goodness rears its face like so many times before; Satisfaction: Nevermore!"

"That wasn't me."

"Oh, but it was. Couldn't you feel it? Couldn't you feel the familiarity? It was a different version of you from a different dimension. Different last name, but that's just a legality issue. The two of you are the same. Same DNA, same destiny, same mark."

"Mark?" I asked the Raven.

"Destiny Mark. Beast-mark. My mark." Said the Raven as I realized who this giant bird was.

"Puck!" I shouted. "Where have you brought me? Send me back to my own dimension."

"You can't leave so soon." Puck insisted. "Do you know how difficult it was for me to bring you here? To pull you from _his_ dimension?"

"I don't care, Trickster. I will not destroy my universe!"

"I had thought you were ruined. That goodness had blocked you from the destiny that I laid out for you. How shortsighted of me. I see your goodness has led you down the same path, for I had forgotten the old maxim of mortal life."

I couldn't help but ask. "What?"

"It's not about right or wrong. It's about power!" Puck the Raven said as his bird eyes glowed red. "And good or evil, my wayward Beast-Childe, you **_crave_** tons and tons of power! Just like your doppelganger."

"David Taggart." I realized. "You've shown me him before. All those Beasts. He was the one most like me."

"That's because he _is _you." Puck reiterated. "Your counterpart in that dimension. You became a traitor to the Animorphs, they trapped you as a rat. The same happened to you in your home dimension before someone from the future changed it. Now you are not a rat, and you follow a similar path to Taggart who was rescued from his nothlit fate by a yeerk scientist."

"I'm nothing like him." I insisted. Even as I said it, I realized it wasn't true.

"You both like your women little and blonde. You both stole a Blade Ship and re-named it after a pagan god. You both have become formidable forces feared by Yeerk and Andalite alike."

"Coincidence."

"I'll let you in on a little secret: Coincidences? NO SUCH THING!" Puck shouted. "Look."

The air around me rippled showing me two scenes. One was of me on the Hork-Bajir world with Bone and Babylon. The other was of me with an unas Hork-Bajir and a bunch of humans I didn't recognize training in the desert. Not me, I realized, but David Taggart.

"You have a Hork-Bajir named Babylon Skorre. He has a Hork-Bajir named Skorre Fett. With the exception of skin color, they look identical, wouldn't you agree?"

I did not answer him.

"And look at this boy. David Taggart has a small boy on his team named Lewis Sanders. He loves the boy. Considers him his son."

"Okay, that's just sick. I haven't done anything like that."

"No?"

Puck then showed me images from my dimension.

_The buffalo began to morph. Its new morph was definitely a male about my height. He wasn't quite as broad as I was. His skin was very pale and his hair was very blond. He actually looked a lot like me, but lacked some of my harder features and there was a little bit of Melissa's softer features in there: Melissa's dimples for instance. He also had Melissa's grey eyes. Fortunately, some of his more 'delicate' parts were still covered in brown Buffalo fur._

"_Awww," Melissa said, suddenly very attached to the freak, "he's cute."_

"_Yeah. We make a good looking kid." I said._

"_What are you suggesting, David Hunting?" Melissa asked teasingly._

_  
Bone finished demorphing. I don't know how, but I swear his giant, bovine head was giving me puppy-dog eyes. I felt a little uneasy at berating something that could gorge me with a head flip, but Bonehead was acting like a spoiled, pissy, little ingrate._

"_Bonehead, never, and I mean, never sneak on my ship without my permission. You got that?"_

"_Did you just acquire Kirag's host?" I asked him intensely, trying not to yell at him._

_((Maybe.)) He quasi-admitted._

_I flash-morphed into Ursa Wulvef. My hand became fist as I raised it. I then brought it down quickly on Bone's head._

_((Owww!)) Bone yelped surprised, more shocked that I hit him than the pain of the hammer blow which to a buffalo was about as damaging as a slap._

_I knelt down and looked into Bone's eyes. Even in Ursa's body, Bone could have headbutted me into a three week coma, but he did no such thing. I grabbed both his horns with my strong Hork-Bajir arms and roughly pulled his head closer to me. Again, I'm not sure if Bone could have shook free of me, but I did it anyways._

_((Never, Ever, EVER acquire a sentient person's DNA without their permission. Are we clear on that, Bonehead?)) I said to Bone strongly._

_((Yes, Boss.)) He answered back._

_I let go of his horns. ((Now, go to the field.))_

_Bone turned around without complaining and quickly trotted away._

"_How odd." Kirag commented. "Bone is biologically an adult of his species, yet he is psychologically a child. And you, David, are the exact opposite."_

_((I didn't create this creature; the Animorphs did.)) I said as I demorphed._

"_And yet, you're the one that brought him here where he was given complete sentience." Kirag added. "To a large herbivore like a Hork-Bajir or a buffalo, what you just did could be considered a dominance ritual."_

"_He knows what right and wrong means; he just doesn't know what things are right and what things are wrong." I realized. "He called me 'Boss' again."_

"_Someone has to teach him right and wrong." Kirag said; his implication was obvious. He was trying to convince me to take Bonehead with me, but after I realized how invested I was in Bone's new life I no longer needed convincing. "You're a tough and brutal disciplinarian, David Hunting."_

"_My father was a General in the US Army. This is something you wouldn't understand." _

"_Bonehead von Buffalo. Babylon Skorre. My ship has rules. Proteus is my home. Moreover, it'll be your home, I expect you to treat it as such. I'm the Boss. You're the crew. Crew is family and I'm the head of that family. Do as I say, we won't have a problem. If you don't, you better have a damn good reason. Not an excuse, a reason! Don't do anything crazy. Don't put the crew in danger. If you can do all that . . . . ." I said as I took one last breath, "welcome aboard."_

"That all sounds like very fatherly stuff to me, Hunting." Puck concluded.

I wasn't so sure he was wrong. "No. I'm not like Taggart." I insisted.

"No. You see, you understand what Taggart and the other Beasts never did. Real power is creation, not destruction. So as you amass your army, remember that you are a real power, my beast-childe. Remember, you have the power and the know how to rule the galaxy under one rule: yours."

"The easier to destroy it with, I suppose." I realized. "I'm amassing no army, Puck."

"What do you think that little cell of terrorism you've got brewing on the Hork-Bajir World is? Summer Camp?"

In a flash of blinding light, a giant blue lion appeared. Its body seemed to sparkle like the stars as it shone rays of white light.

Puck addressed the lion. "The Ether is neutral territory, Whistler. You have no dominion here."

"I know that." Said the Lion. "I can do nothing to you or for you."

"What do you mean 'for me'?"

The Lion chuckled. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Quinz Haas."

"Could someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" I yelled.

"PUCK!" shouted a booming voice. An evil voice. A voice I recognized.

A giant red eye appeared above me, Puck, and the sparkling blue lion named Whistler.

"No! Damnit! He's found us! That damn Demonic Lord of Treason found us!"

"Crayak!" I realized.

"Hello, Hunting. How many times will you cause me grief? You could have been such a pawn. Now you are a thorn!" Crayak shouted as a beam of red energy shot forward from his giant pupil and enveloped me. I was paralyzed and being dragged toward him.

A second shot of energy, this time black, came from Puck and began to pull me in the opposite direction toward him. I was the rope in a Demonic Tug-o-war!!!!

"No, Crayak! He is one of my Beast-Childes. You cannot keep him from me!!!!" Puck insisted.

"Fool!" Crayak shouted back. "When Mephisto banished me into that small galaxy in that nothing dimension, he gave me free reign over all of its occupants. _All_ of them, Quinz Haas!"

"I will not let you have my son." Puck shouted.

"I don't share my toys!!" Crayak countered.

"This isn't a game for you to win, Crayak!"

"Of course it is. It's always a game and I always win. You know why?" Crayak baited. "I always stack the deck."

A third bolt of light hit me, this one green, coming from a giant-sized knight-like figure in green and white armor. The bolt of light came from a shield the figure was holding. The figure also had gossamer wings. The Winged Knight floated next to Crayak and the two of them overpowered Puck and slowly pulled me toward the two of them.

"So this is the Ether, the space between dimensions." Said the Winged Knight. "I can't believe you were telling the truth, Crayak."

"Surely, Ellimist, do you think I would ever let anyone end our game before a winner was declared?" Crayak responded.

"Fucking Gamers." Puck shouted as Crayak and Ellimist pulled me completely from his grasp. "No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I woke up and rose from my bed. I was in my quarters on _Proteus_. I looked around and saw the Winged Knight (the Ellimist), and the Drode standing around my bed looking somewhat at me and somewhat at each other.

"Now, where were we?" asked the Drode.

I woke up and rose from my bed, for real this time. I was alone in my quarters.

****

July 28, 2000 3:25 PM

"Ayla," I summoned, "what time is it?"

"1525 hours." Ayla answered. "Our arrival at Gianna Draquen will not be for another three hours. Do you want to sleep and be restful some more?"

_Sleep? Restful? Decidedly not. _"I really don't."

I got up and dragged my self to my private bathroom. I had long removed the Andalite toilet and replaced it with an old fashioned porcelain john. I looked in the mirror of my bathroom at my reflection. My hair was getting longer and I hadn't shaved for awhile. I was starting to look more and more like Kurt Cobain. Or a hippy who showered.

It has been three days since we left the Hork-Bajir World. I was still getting used to having people living on my ship. Bonehead von Buffalo, the freak of technology and Babylon Skorre, a Neo Hork-Bajir with a disconcerting history have joined my "crew". Babylon did not have the morphing power, but he was a hard worker. Before leaving, Babylon procured for us a grove's worth of trees and three acres worth of grass to be planted in the Jungle Room which was originally three separate rooms on the front-port section of the top deck of my ship. Even with all that room, Babylon said it was too small and asked my permission to expand it. I gave him permission so that's what he's been doing. It's a good thing; we might need the food. I had stockpiled food for myself (mostly stolen from supermarkets), but the kitchen is on the main deck so all except the canned goods were destroyed when Councilor Four and Nodnarb flooded my ship.

While Babylon said he could live off the bark of the Amazonian trees I had stolen for Hellboy, eating off of canned foods for the last month made me appreciate the concept of variety.

I was mostly concerned about Bonehead. He could theoretically morph human or hork-bajir and eat as I or Babylon eats, but I felt he should be able to eat in his own body if he wanted to, so I made sure we got a lot of grass for him. Kirag had mentioned how good a gardener Babylon was, so I trusted him to take care of the plants.

After living here for a few months, I have done many things to grow into my new home, including how to navigate this massive place. _Proteus_ had three parts: A front, a back, and a middle. The back was mostly engines and a vertical labyrinth of engine rooms. The front was mostly the bridge. The middle was four floors (or decks) atop control rooms and a large bay of Sea Bugs.

The first floor I called the Mech & Tech Deck. When I claimed _Proteus_, back when it was the Sea Blade, the first floor was mostly labs and maintenance offices. In here I put in a bunch of machine toys I stole from the Pemalite ship and modified them so they would build droids and weapons. I called it my Factory. They worked well until they were all damaged by the flood. I hadn't gotten around to fixing them yet; the Pemalite self-repairing technology only went so far. The Cold Pod room and the experimental Holo Pod room were also on this deck.

The second floor I called the Main Deck, since that floor had the side hatches that would be used whenever we made port at a station. That deck had a big empty space where the side hatches were toward the front of the ship. (One of the side hatch doors still had the imprint of a strong gorilla hand prying it open). The front half also had large, multi-purpose conference rooms for seminars and the like. The back half had an Olympic swimming pool size yeerk pool that was devoid of any yeerks, so I drained it and turned it into an actual swimming pool (which I should probably use more).

The third floor was the Commander's deck, since that's where the officer's quarters were. That's where I spent most of my time, and where I did most of my "homey redecorating". I lived in what was most likely the quarters that Visser Three used. Bone and Babylon each stayed in one of the seven remaining officer's quarter's in that part of the ship (I converted one into the new Yeerk Pool room). Actually, Bone's quarters were right across the hall from mine; I wanted to keep an eye on him. Both the Commander's deck and the Main deck had entrances into the Bridge.

The fourth and top deck was quickly becoming the Jungle deck as I found out when I went up there to check on Babylon.

I exited the large lifts, expecting for my foot to catch floor, when I stumbled into a three foot drop and landed flat on my face. As I picked myself up, I looked around and saw what Babylon had done to the top deck of my ship. All the floors and walls had been ripped out from the front part of the ship; it was now one big empty area the size of three supermarkets. The trees, plants and grass that used to be in the Jungle room were now in large pots or in stacks in the back of the ship. My Andalite waterfall decoration, however, was still there. Hellboy was seen slithering about lackadaisically as Babylon was fooling around with what I believed to be the water main for the deck.

"Babylon, what the hell are you doing?"

Babylon answered me without taking his eyes off of what he was doing. "I'm taping into the water pipes of the ship so that we can set up an automatic watering system for the new floor."

"New floor?"

"I'm replacing the floor with an ennos strayfa. That's an andalite term for indoor field or something. Basically, the new floor will be wire mesh on top of soil with grass growing through it, like what the old Andalite ships had before they made Dome Ships."

Sure. Whatever. "Is Hellboy going to be okay wandering around here?"

"Should be. The ship's computer fed it some smelly dead animal earlier."

"The ship's computer is named Ayla."

"I thought the ship was _Proteus_."

"The _ship _is _Proteus_. The _computer_'s name is Ayla, and we treat _her_ with respect else she gets very testy with us."

"I can hear you, you know!" Ayla chimed in. Babylon heard Ayla's voice and turned his head around looking for where it came from.

"Who said that?" Babylon finally asked.

"I did." Ayla said. "I'm the ship's computer."

"The ship's computer can talk?"

"You're not very quick on the uptake, are you Babylon?" I asked.

Babylon blinked at me. "Up what take?"

He maybe leaps ahead of his fellow unas Hork-Bajir, but he's still a Hork-Bajir.

"What made you do it like this?" I asked Babylon motioning to the mess he'd made of my top deck."

"I heard stories about the old Andalite ships and how they had hallways of grass and figured that should work here. The computer told me how to set it up."

"I have a name!!!" Ayla insisted.

"Sorry, Layla told me how. She didn't talk to me though, just showed me pictures. I didn't know Layla could talk."

"Ayla." Ayla corrected. "My name is Ayla, you big purple freak."

"Ayla, be patient. He's Hork-Bajir." I suggested.

"Yeah." Babylon agreed. "Wait, what?"

I decided to change the subject. "We'll be arriving on Gianna Draquen in less than three hours, so in about two and a half hours, I want you to report to the Main Deck conference rooms. You can't morph, so you'll be holding our supplies."

"If Ayla is the computer, what's the cat's name?" Babylon asked off-the-subject.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yes. Two and a half hours; Main Deck Conference rooms; I'm the pack mule. What's the cat's name?"

Before I could think to ask him where he learned the term 'pack mule', I answered his question. "The cat's name is Megadeth."

"And the other one?"

"What other one?"

"The other cat."

"You mean the leopard in the Holo Pod room?"

"No, not the big cat. The little one. Megadeth was playing with someone in the hallway when I got up this morning, and it looked exactly like him."

_Exactly?_ "Ug, it must have been Bone."

"But Bone's a buffalo."

I gave him a hard, frustrated look. He may talk better than an unas Hork-Bajir, but he sure isn't much smarter. "Take your time."

He squinted in a human expression of confusion, than his face softened in an expression of realization. "Oooooh, right."

"There it is." I said. "Which reminds me: What's this about you yelling at him for knocking stuff over?"

"He was bothering me. He kept knocking over the fruit trees, and then he mouthed off to me."

"Be nice. He's a freak of technology; he's a little . . . ."

"Annoying?" Babylon tried.

"Rambunctious." I supplied as I began to leave. "Rest for an hour before you report to the conference rooms. I don't want you all tired from working before we go into a hard battle."

I got into the big lifts and went back down to the Commander Deck. Bone was the other unknown quality on my ship. He may have been like a child, but he was not as naïve as he seemed. Still he did irritating things and now that he had a personality, it was not without quirks. One of which I noticed is music. The dumb buffalo loves to sing and dance, and the irritating part about it is that he's actually good at it. He can't sing in his own body (though he sometimes bellows in tune with bass riffs), but I've heard him sing in a number of his morphs: Nomar the Hork-Bajir, Laet the Hork-Bajir, Toadie the Mini-Titan, even Quafijinivon the Arn (of whom I've heard is actually tone-deaf). In each morph with their different vocal ranges he sings **_perfectly_**. Every time.

The most disturbing though is his composite human morph. His speaking voice sounds a lot like mine, but his singing voice sounds a lot like that Carter guy from the Backstreet Boys. That's not a comforting thought. I'm not the musical type, but even if I was, I'd prefer to sound more like Trent Reznor or Gavin Rossdale or Billy Corgan than a Backstreet Bitch.

Okay, maybe not Billy Corgan.

What's worse is that his taste in music isn't at all like mine. He's _loves_ pop, dance, and R&B music. He's also gotten into ska music which irritates me since I hate trumpets, but at least a trumpet is a real musical instrument. He's also having Ayla download music from other planets. Some of it's all right like the weirdly melodic Leeran string-instrumental music or some hard Hawajabran music style called Gungu Dragarrl, which means "deep bellowing". Some of it's annoying like Skrit Na vocalists (whose music sounds like screeching with a tambourine) or that one Ongachic folksong I was forced to listen to repeatedly so Bonehead could be calm enough to acquire the 'Sneaky and Mean Tree Cat' (the leopard).

The one time I want him to acquire something and he gets skittish. And if he acquired and morphed Megadeth, I still need to talk to Bone about acquiring things without telling me.

Then again, I never really bothered to tell Jake about all the creatures I acquired. Why does it bother me so much?

"Bone! Let me in." I said as I knocked on Bone's door.

"Door open" said the voice of Bone's human morph.

I walked in and Bone was bouncing a soccer ball off his human head repeatedly. 'Heading' the ball, I think it's called. After a minute, I realized the ball was holographic. Where the wall to Bone's quarters should be there was a hologram of a soccer goalie and net. I noticed Megadeth lying lazily in the pile of hay that Bone slept in.

"Bone, what are you doing?"

"I'm playing _fútbol_!" Bone said as he bounced the ball on his head three more times before he did a COMPLETE BACKFLIP, kicking the holographic ball into the holographic goal.

"GOOOOOOOOAAAALL!" Ayla yelled, doing her Latin American sports announcer impression.

"Oh yeah! 'I Beat iiiiiiiiiiit!! Beat iiiiiiiiiiiiiit!/ Computer Fútbol Goalie's Defeated!'" Bone sang to the tune of Michael Jackson's "Beat It".

As he moonwalked. I'm not joking. Bonehead, who just became a human for the first time a little more than a week ago, was doing the Michael Jackson Moonwalk. While singing a Michael Jackson song. With his OWN WORDS!

"'My kicks are awesome/ Everyone knows/ It doesn't matter/ If I've hooves or toes/ I'll Beat it! Just Beat it!'" He finished singing and dancing and turned to me. "I beat it, Boss. Woo!"

"Yeah, that's great. Listen, we have about two and half hours before we land on Gianna Draquen. I want you go to the top deck and eat something."

"Last time I went up there Babylon yelled at me."

"You knocked over his trees, and then you mouthed off to him." I pointed out.

"So? I knocked over some of the apple and orange trees. I even broke a branch off of one of the pear trees and he's fine with it, but I slightly bump into the maple trees and he has a fit. He's got a bad temper, Boss. It's just like that thing with his dumb, little spice garden."

"You ate half his ginger than threw up on his talons."

"You know, he had, like, twice as much ginger than anything else in that dumb garden so really all I was doing was evening things out. And I already said I was sorry for throwing up on his hooves."

"Talons. Hork-Bajir have talons, not hooves. Be nice to Babylon. Everything's new to him, too. He's a Hork-Bajir, he's a little . . . ."

"Stupid?"

"Slow." I supplied.

"Whatever. If I hafta eat, I wanna eat in human morph." Bone said with fake breeziness.

I knew what he wanted. "You mean you want to eat cookies in human morph?"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeese?" Bone pleaded, jumping up and down like a five-year-old. (A sixteen-year-old human jumping up and down like a preschooler.)

"Go." I relented.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Bone said as he ran out his door toward the kitchen on this deck

"Then demorph and rest!" I called after him, but he was already halfway to the kitchen and ignoring me.

"Boys will be boys, David." Ayla supplied.

"I don't need a boy. I need _men_."

"Ahem!" Ayla prompted.

"Or women . . . You know what I mean. He likes to dance and sing and eat cookies. That doesn't sound like a warrior. That sounds like a cast member of _Barney & Friends_. What's going to happen if . . . when he goes into battle?"

"David, try to remember that he's from the African Wilderness. That's like the Compton of Mother Earth."

She has a point. It's not like the Savannahs of Africa are the happy land of bunnies. Grown men and warriors go into the wilderness of the Dark Continent and don't come back in one piece.

I picked up Megadeth in my arms. He purred for a second than went back to staring at stuff. "Well, back to work." I said. "Ayla, warn me if Bone gets sugar-high."

For the next two hours I worked on establishing a remote link to Ayla on the Protimus-Bot Controller. With Ayla's assistance, the PBC would act as almost a mini-terminal to Ayla and would allow me contact her, even when I was off the ship. It reminded me of a Palm Pilot, so I dubbed it the Palm Proteus.

We approached the planet, two hours later. We weren't landing on the planet, but docking with the Space Station above the planet. I wasn't sure why.

As Babylon was our 'pack mule', he carried our supplies. I was surprised when he came to the conference room with a shoulder bag that made him look like the Green Goblin. He loaded it up with some weapons, including nine doses of Protimus-Bots.

"Be thrifty with the weapons, Babylon. With the factory all tore up, I can't make any more."

"No problem." Babylon responded.

"I've compiled a list of Dayang-made components that would help us, David." Ayla chimed in.

"Good thinking, Ayla." I said. "Have seen Bone?"

"He should be coming off the large lifts in few seconds."

On cue, Bone trotted from one of the large classroom-sized elevators on starboard side of the ship.

((Sorry I'm late, Boss.))

"Did you lock Megadeth in the lounge on the Commander's Deck?"

((Uh-huh, that's what took me so long. Dumb kitty's always running away from me.))

"Can't imagine why. You're so good with small animals." Babylon sarcastically grumbled.

((I said I was sorry for stepping on Zombie's tail, Dork-Bajir!))

"Bonehead."

((That's my name. Don't wear it out!))

"Knock it off, you two!" I berated. Zombie was the name of Babylon's pet Hruthor, a blue-grey reptile from the northern-'Outside', the part of the Hork-Bajir world beyond the equatorial valleys. Unlike the wildlife in the valleys, the snakes and lizards of the Outside were not engineered by the Arn but evolved from the survivors of the cataclysm that created the deep valleys in the first place. They're something of a mystery, even to the Arn.

Still, there's no mystery that if something the size of a buffalo steps on the tail of something the size of Jack Russell terrier, it hurts!

"Zombie will be fine, right?" I asked Babylon.

"He's in his aquarium in my quarters. I gave Layla his feeding schedule, per your suggestion." Babylon answered.

"My name is AYLA." Ayla corrected.

"You're going to feed him though, right?"

"Yes." Ayla grumbled. "About 60 grams of turoo bugs every day."

"By the way, Boss, how long are we going to be planetside?" Babylon asked.

"Don't know." I answered. "But we best be prepared for anything."

"But we're estimating a maximum of about three or four days, right?"

"Why is this an issue?"

Babylon stammered. "Eh, uh, it isn't."

That's weird. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Did Ayla get Zombie's feed schedule right?"

"Yeah. Just drop the bugs in his aquarium. They'll go to him. No one's really sure why. Thanks, Layla."

"Ayla!" Ayla corrected.

(('Got me on my knees, Layla.')) Bone thought-sang.

"Don't you start." Ayla warned. "We're docking with Port 37 of the Super-Atmo Space Station of Gianna Draquen."

"Let's go." I said. Then I got a silly idea. "Bone, stand still."

I threw my leg over Bone's back and mounted him like he was a horse.

((Hey, whatcha doing?)) Bone said.

"I'm bestriding my loyal, noble steed."

((I'm not a 'loyble' steed!)) Bone protested. ((You can't ride me like some sort of hoof animal!))

"Bone. You're an animal. You have hooves. You are a hoof animal."

Bone looked at his hooves like the thought never occurred to him. ((Yeah, but . . . I'm . . . . no.))

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" I asked.

((No, but that's not the point. This is undignified!)) Bone grumbled.

"Come on. Where would the Lone Ranger be without his horse, Tanto?"

"Tanto's the sidekick. Silver's the horse." Babylon corrected.

"You can be both, Bone." I responded to Bone's look of annoyance. It was weird to see so many human expressions on a buffalo's face.

Bone trotted to the port side hatch, learning to keep his back straight so I don't fall off.

((I feel stupid.))

"Come on, I'm supposed to be a big hero to these guys." I rationalized. "I gotta look powerful to command respect. Ayla, open the hatch door."

Ayla opened the hatch door and four dayangs had beam weapons pointed at us.

((Oh yeah. That's respect for ya.)) Bone chimed in.

Dayangs are strange creatures, seemingly a creature with two parts. Their lower bodies looked like a normal animal without a head. It had two arms (called ground arms) that could be used as legs and ended in six-fingered (5 to 1), opposable hands, and two legs that were shorter and sturdier. On top of the that was the upper body, a chest with a head and two arms (called main arms) that ended in four-fingered, opposable hands (3 to1). They also had four thin tentacles moving wildly out of their back. Their dog-like heads had satellite dish-shaped ears and three eyes, two green simple eyes and one red compound eye. Their skin was various shades of brown. They had fur (the color of which differs) on their main arms, the tops of their heads, and the sides of their lower bodies. If they were male, they also had hair on their shoulders.

"$Guards, stand down.$" said a melodious dayang voice in Draque, the dayang language.

A thin dayang with brown fur walked toward us as the Guards left us. The Dayang had no hair on its shoulders, leading me to believe she was female. That and the general way she gestured with her tentacles was interpreted by my translator as feminine.

"$Greetings, Sir David. I am Third Officer Chydla Feezor-641. I apologize for the inhospitable welcome, but we're in a state of martial law right now.$"

((What's he saying? I don't understand him.))

"_Her_, Bone." I quietly corrected. "$No problem, Officer.$" I answered in Galard.

Chydla switched to Galard as well. "$Galard, yes, of course. Again, apologies.$" Chydla stood at attention, but the way her compound eye was glowing was interpreted by my language implant as nervousness.

((Ah, Galard. That I understand.)) Bone said.

"$You've brought allies, I see. Captain Hollin will be pleased. He is waiting for us at the Great Elevator-Cindre. If you'll follow me.$"

"$What's the situation with the Morphing bandits?$" I asked.

"$Captain Hollin will debrief you,$" Chydla answered, "$but between you and me, former Captain Gwarver and his terrorists have been making our lives a never-ending punishment.$"

((Let's call them 'Terrormorphs!')) Bone suggested. ((That's a cool name for villains!))

"This isn't a Saturday morning cartoon, Bone." I chided. "$Forgive my cohort. He has a loose tongue.$"

"Ter-ror-morphs." Chydla repeated, using the English words. "$I'm not sure of its meaning in your language, but it seems to fit.$"

"$Evil is not lost in translation.$" Babylon said in Galard. For someone kind of mentally slow, he says the darkest, wisest things sometimes.

"$You speak Galard, Babylon?$" I asked him.

"Galard. English. The Hork-Bajir-Arn language. A little Spanish and Yeerkish too. It's hard for us sometimes, though." Babylon replied in English. Then in Galard, "$We hork-bajir have a tendency to confuse the languages. We forget which words and which rules go with which language.$"

"$Your two cohorts could get language implants once we're planet-side.$" Chydla suggested. "$The _Rogin Gavic_'s science officer is also in Cindre right now. I believe you're familiar with him. I'm sure he would be happy to do it.$"

"$Dr. Orbin? Yes, he is a good friend.$"

We approached a large, vertical tube of some sort and standing near it was the large, familiar frame of the other red-haired dayang I knew: Captain Hollin.

"$David Hunting! You've arrived at last.$" Captain Hollin greeted me. "$And you've brought others.$"

"$This strangely colored Hork-Bajir is Babylon Skorre and this mighty creature is Bonehead von Buffalo.$" I introduced.

((I'm a 'loyable' steed.)) Bone offered.

"$What a strange creature.$" Hollin commented. "$Come. We shall enter the Great Elevator of the City of Cindre. I'll debrief you on the way down.$"

"$This elevator goes all the way down to the planet surface?$" Babylon asked.

"$It does, my simple Hork-Bajir ally.$" Hollin answered as Bone (and I atop him), Babylon, and Chydla followed Hollin into the baseball-diamond-sized elevator.

The Elevator began its slow descent and I could see that the walls of the elevator were transparent. We could see outside as the elevator lowered. Bone became so enraptured by the view I had to dismount from him to talk to Hollin.

"So what's the story?" I asked him in English.

"$Captain Gwarver and his five fellow terrorists have been causing disturbances around Gwarver's hometown, the City of Cindre.$"

"$Where we're headed.$" Babylon realized.

"$Yes. They have the Andalite ambassador and an attendant as prisoners. We've searched everywhere, but for whatever reason we can't hear any thought-speech cries. We fear the worse.$"

"$That doesn't make sense. Gwarver wouldn't kill his only bargaining chips.$" I said.

"$Maybe he's just keeping them unconscious so they can't make thought-speech cries.$" Babylon wondered.

"$What about the other andalite? The one you caught snooping in restricted areas?$" I asked.

"$He's being held in a Ramonite Box. As I said before, he's being less than co-operative.$"

"$Sir Bonehead, please stay away from the walls of the Elevator as we enter Atmo. They can get quite hot.$" Chydla warned Bone.

((It's so pretty!)) Bone commented, not at all listening. ((OW!))

"$What's the nature of Gwarver's attacks?$" I asked Hollin.

"$He and his terrorists attack civilians, inciting chaos and pandemonium. He continues to do this to coerce us into giving him a spaceship. We, of course, cannot acquiesce to this.$"

"$His last attack was at the Cindre Liript Class of 5478A's Twenty-year reunion.$" Chydla explained. "$My father was there. He suffered a cardiac arrest in his lower body because of Gwarver. He survived. Barely.$"

"$Do we know the identities of the other morphers?$"

Hollin seemed to waver. "$Yes. Three are former crew members of _Rogin Gavic_. One we believe to be a female named Lebla Synda-300, a doctor's assistant at a robotics lab. The last we've confirmed is a convicted serial killer named Kartar Legles-283. The Media call him Krull,$" which means 'stab' in Draque.

"A morphing serial killer." I said, forgetting my Galard. "Lovely."

"$And the names of the former crew members of _Rogin Gavic_?$" Babylon prompted.

Hollin seemed to waver, "$Well one was a lieutenant in my command named Frozeon Andsomgi-371.$" Hollin said as his compound eyes slowly glowed darker, an expression of hesitation. "$The other two are . . . $"

((WOW!!!)) Bone suddenly yelled. ((Look at this!!!))

We all turned to Bone to look out of the Elevator's windows. We had entered into the atmosphere of Gianna Draquen. And the atmosphere was full of creatures, hundreds and hundreds of them.

"Great Mother Sky!" Babylon muttered. "The entire atmosphere is congested with them."

Giant bugs and birds of many sizes filled our view. Some flew close enough to the elevator and glided or fluttered down to watch us.

"$This is the reason for the Super-Atmo Space Station. To make space launches from the planet surface would disturb countless flocks and hordes.$" Chydla explained.

"$Planetary launches and landings are now illegal.$" Hollin added.

((What creature is this?)) Bone hyperactively asked. ((What creature is that?))

"$That's a Derif Lazunbi. And that's an Orcloguz.$" Chydla patiently explained, pointing to each one with a tentacle as it flew from our sight. Then a big, brown, fat insect hovered up to the window and followed us down. Chydla pointed to it. "$And that's a Belga Vibrat, although they don't usually soar to this altitude.$"

"$I've got a bad feeling about this.$" Babylon said in the Hork-Bajir-Arn Language (or HBA-L.)

((So, Hollin. You've brought back the Saboteur, the morphing-human. I always knew the two of you conspired to ruin me!!!)) said a thought-speech voice.

"Gwarver?" Hollin wondered, surprised. "$The Belga Vibrat. It's Gwarver!$"

((Ha Ha. I can't hear what you're saying, but I'm sure you've figured it out, my former First Mate.)) Gwarver taunted.

I morphed into Ursa Wulvef and faced the big, brown bug. ((I'm here to take you down, Gwarver.)) I threatened.

((Interesting Homo Sapien idiom, David Hunting. I've come to do something similar.))

I turned around instinctually and saw two larger flying creatures. One looked like a big bee with blades for insect arms. The other looked like a big white, flying dinosaur.

I demorphed to human. "This could be . . . . . bad."

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The first part of this chapter contains allusions and characters featured in Elcolo9's "The Antimorph Saga."


	64. Galaxy Tour IV: Meet the Terrormorphs

"$Captain.$" Chydla prompted. "$There's a Latemsnart Lazunbi and a Drego Intron carrying a Hot-Cut-Wire this way.$"

"$That sounds like a very unfunny joke.$" Hollin said.

"$I'm not laughing either, Captain.$"

I saw a large white, flying creature (kind of like a pterodactyl, but with a squirrel tail) and a big green, black, and yellow humanoid insect holding either end of a thick rope that glowed orange.

They flew a hundred feet below us and they flew on either side of the Great Elevator tube, such that the glowing wire went through the tube, cutting it. When the Elevator lowered to the place where it had been cut, it jerked to a stop.

Then the two creatures flew back and cut the tube directly above our heads, making us all (except Bone) duck.

((Ha Ha Ha Ha.)) Gwarver laughed.

Then we saw a big brown and orange bird fly toward us. One with a very hard-looking head.

"Uh-oh" I said.

"Eotto'ot!" Hollin identified.

((What's that mean?)) Bone asked.

"Trouble." Babylon answered.

"Bone, morph something small." I commanded.

((But, Boss . . .))

"Don't argue with me, Bonehead! Morph something small."

((But I can . . .))

"BONEHEAD VON BUFFALO, YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!"

((Okay, but if I go splat on the ground below us, it's your fault.))

The Eotto'ot, as predicted, headbutted our elevator as Bonehead was halfway through his morph of an animal I didn't recognize. I wish I knew what it was; How am I supposed to make good leader decisions if I don't know what Bone is turning into?

The Elevator lurched forward and began to tip over. Bone was shrinking, but this caused a shift in mass and we fell completely over.

The elevator was now sideways falling through the sky. Hollin and Chydla wrapped their tentacles around the banisters on the wall, gripping for dear life. Babylon did the same with his wrist blades and hands. Bone was in the morph of a parrot-sized insect that looked like one of those spider-shaped viruses. He had mantis-ish claws and a termite head with a vast Kelsey Grammer-like forehead. He was using his four insect legs, his mantis claws and his large, stag-beetle-like mouth parts to hold onto the elevator.

I morphed to the ever useful alien morph, the Metracroyle. I used its acid spray and made a hole big enough for me to fly out of. Once I caught wind and was able to fly, I grabbed the falling elevator with my four mighty talons.

Unfortunately, my talons were not mighty enough. We were still falling, but we were falling slower. Three of the Terrormorphs (yes, I'm using Bone's word) then descended upon us. I didn't want to use my acid spray since that could fall on the elevator, but I still had a sharp beak. The Drego Intron came at me with four insect arms that were little more than scythe blades. I clamped my beak around its insect head and flipped him end over end. The Eotto'ot bird with the hard skull came at me and I risked it enough to send a spray of acid right at its noggin.

((AAAAAAAH!)) cried a though-speech scream as the eotto'ot veered off.

Then the big, white Lazunbi soared down. He stayed out of reach of my beak and acid spray and tried to poke his stegosaurus-like head into the hole I made in the elevator.

((Time to die, saboteurs!)) said the lazunbi.

((Like Hell it is!)) Bone shouted as he leaped from the piece of the Elevator he was gripping to and latched himself to the side of the Lazunbi's neck.

((ACK!!)) the lazunbi shouted as it recoiled from the falling elevator.

((BONE!!)) I shouted. What was that idiot doing? Was he trying to get himself killed?

Bone had managed to crawl to the back of the lazunbi's neck. Then he sunk his large pincer mouthparts into the lazunbi's neck, like some alien insect vampire.

((AAAAAAH!)) the Lazunbi screamed as it tumbled through the air. ((GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!! GET IT OFF ME!!))

(('Touch me now and I don't care/ When you take me I'm not there/ Almost human, but I'll never be the same.')) Bone thought-sang.

"Is he singing again?" I heard Babylon faintly scream through the wind noise.

(('Loooooooong Waaaaaaaay Dooooooooown./ I don't think I'll make it on my own/ Loooooooong Waaaaaaaay Dooooooooown!/ I don't wanna live in here, alone/ Loooooooong Waaaaaaaay Dooooooooown./ I don't think I'll make it on myyyyyyy own!'))

((Bone thinks he's funny. At least it isn't a boy band song.)) I muttered.

"$Look! A hovercraft is heading our way.$" I faintly heard Chydla yelled.

A yellow vehicle raced through the sky to us. "$Captain Hollin!$" said a voice on a speaker. A familiar voice. "$We're coming up to get you.$"

"$Oh no!$" Hollin muttered

"$Is it Gwarver?$" Babylon asked.

"$Worse.$" Hollin gulped. "$It's Dr. Orbin's horny lab partner.$"

((We're not talking about Klika Rowach-468, are we?))

Sure enough as the hovercraft flew over us than dove down next to the slowly falling broken elevator tube, I could see the familiar form of my other old friend (the one with the grabby-tentacles), Klika Rowach-468. Last time I was with the Dayangs, Klika made eyes at my dayang morph. _I guess she's moved on._

The Hovercraft had six 'seats' (even if it didn't have actual seats). A young male dayang sat in the driver's seat. Klika sat in the seat to his right. The seat to his left and the three seats in back were empty. The entire vehicle was covered by a transparent hemisphere of plastic, like a flying car from "The Jetsons".

The transparent hatch flipped open. "$All aboard, that's coming aboard.$" Klika greeted as Hollin jumped out of the hole I made with the acid and leaped into the left passenger seat. Chydla and Babylon jumped into the back seat.

((Oh no, you don't!)) shouted the Lazunbi who was flapping hard to get back up to us. Bone was no longer on him.

((Where's my soldier, terrorist?)) I asked him.

((I dropped the big bug into the water down there. Hope he can swim.))

((That's water? It looks like grass.)) I said amazed.

((Water is green. Grass is pink. Welcome to Gianna Draquen.)) The Lazunbi taunted at me. ((I shall now be collecting your visitor's tax . . . in blood!))

((How about an elevator tube?)) I asked as my four talons released the heavy piece of metal and plastic and it landed on the Lazunbi's back. The Lazunbi began to tumble down again.

((I definitely should have seen that coming.)) I heard the Lazunbi say.

((Let's get down to the water. Bone's down there!)) I commanded.

"The Drego Intron and the Eotto'ot are coming around!" Babylon reported.

((I'll handle them, you guys find Bone!))

As the hovercraft floated down toward the green water, the drego intron came at me. I sprayed my gas, hoping to confuse the terrormorph. I was also hoping the gas would irritate it.

((Mmmmm, Dramnay fresh.)) the drego intron said. I guess not. ((What a strange animal to emit a gas that smells like fruit.))

((That's not all it emits.)) I said as I spat acid. He dodged but I hit his backmost right leg. He then flew around and tried to pounce on me from above, but I tapped into the metracroyle's instincts and whirled my tail for a sudden burst of speed. Most of my body flew past the drego intron, but he was still able to hack off a piece of my tail.

The loss of my tail not only killed all my speed, but complicated my steering. I was maintaining all right, but the eotto'ot was on its way to headbutt me.

So I went for broke and flared my wings, giving it a beakful of talon instead. The collision caused us to tumble end over end, still attempting to bite or claw one another. My other three talons attempted to rip apart the rest of the eotto'ot's body while the eotto'ot was using its two talons to claw up my chest.

Still we fell, and in the struggle, I was able to clamp my four talons on the bird's back as I snapped my beak around its neck. The terrormorph attempted to throw me off with its wings, but no dice. I felt like I was actually going to make it out of there alive.

So naturally, that's when we crashed.

I was expecting to splash in water, but as we got closer to the surface I noticed we were falling toward a small little island, not even the size of a basketball court.

The eotto'ot went beak first into the dark red ground causing a craterous skid mark, like an airplane crash. I on the other hand was catapulted into what I guess was a shack of some sort. I landed on my back on the roof, which in turn fell in and I continued to fall to the floor. I fell on some hard sticks and assessed my injuries. One wing was broken; one wing was sprained. I twisted one of my talons out of joint and piece of my upper beak was chipped off and bleeding bright yellow blood. I demorphed to rid myself of my injuries and then hugged the ground, not wanting to be away from it for awhile.

I remembered that there were still flying Terrormorphs around and that I didn't know where Bone and the others were. I looked around where I had landed and that's when I noticed that the hard sticks I landed on weren't sticks.

They were bones. Some of which were broken.

I walked out of what was left of the shack and I noticed that entire little island that the terrormorph and I crashed into was littered with the bones of dayangs.

The eotto'ot stumbled to get up. At the same time, the drego intron landed in front of me. I could now see that this frightful and monstrous insect was only about four feet tall.

((I'm going to stab you. Stab! Stab!)) said the drego intron. This must be Krull.

"$Stop Krull. Look around. Something bad happened here.$" I said in Galard, hoping he understood.

((Something bad is about to happen here!)) Krull responded.

((Wait a moment, Krull. He's right. This place is like the inside of a burial cave.)) said the eotto'ot.

((The dead don't scare me, Lebla. I'm a serial killer, remember?)) Krull retorted. ((So this is the great Sir David Hunting. The morphing human who nearly took down the Abominable Visser Three and destroyed Captain Gwarver's chance at wryphat'd. Doesn't look like much. I mean, sure, his big arms look scary, but he's got no tentacles. Only two legs. I'm gonna stab him. I'm gonna stab him good!))

"Go ahead and try, Psychopath." I dared him in my own language.

((What'd he say?)) Krull asked.

((He dared you to kill him. Then he called you crazy.)) Lebla translated

Krull began to wave his four scythe-like insect arms. ((I'm not CRAZY! I'm a fracture! I'm going to kill him and take his head as my trophy!))

The white Lazunbi flew by our island at top speed.

((RETREAT!! RETREAT!!)) It yelled.

((What the Great Measure is wrong with you, Frozeon?)) Lebla asked.

((Every heist you gotta be saying my name. I said 'IT'S COMING!' RETREAT!!)) Frozeon repeated.

((Krull the Serial Killer retreats from nothing!!!)) Krull boasted.

A large yellow-green fish-like head rose from the water. It was twice as big around as a Taxxon.

((Except that.)) Krull amended as he flew away quickly.

((A Nogradandy!)) Lebla identified. ((We'll kill you later, Mr. Big Boom, provided there is a later!)) With that the eotto'ot beat wing off the island of death.

The sea serpent raised its head to about seven feet high. Its mouth was large enough so that it could chomp me down in one bite. For whatever reason it didn't occur to me to fly away, so I ran. I ran as fast I could.

As a garatron.

As I ran at speeds that could give the Flash a run for his money, I ran out of island to run on and began running on the water, putting a lot of distance between me and the yellow-green sea-worm. My garatron eyes spotted something yellow moving slowly in circles on the water. Then again, in this morph, everything moves slowly.

As I ran closer I could identify it as Klika's friend's hovercraft. I could see four dayangs and a purple Hork-Bajir in it. I watched as Klika slowly lifted Bone, still in that parrot-sized bug morph, out of the water and into the hovercraft. I took my chance and raced in and stood next to Babylon, who was sitting on what appeared to be a fold-out chair attached to the hovercraft.

As soon as I did that, Hollin, Klika, Chydla, and Babylon slowly turned their heads to face me.

I demorphed. It's ironic that I don't have the patience to be in the morph of a fast animal.

"Hey, what's going on?" I said flippantly.

"$Was that a garatron?$" asked the driver.

"$It was. Now, I'd really like it if we could be in the sky now!$" I asked in Galard

((Are we in a hurry, Boss?)) Bone asked me, perched on Klika's shoulder.

"Sea Monster! Big Sea Monster!" I pushed.

"$We can run from whatever wildlife you encountered just as well along the surface of the water than up in the air.$" the driver said.

"I'd much prefer the air!"

"$We can't go too far into the air; we'll disturb the wild life. I'm not endangering my planet's ecosystem just because you have an ignorant fear of what is most likely a harmless sea creature you just don't know anything about.$"

"I know it's called a Nogradandy."

"Nogradandy???!!!" yelled the other three Dayangs.

"$All right then; It's into the air we go.$" said the driver in Galard.

The hovercraft hovered along the surface of the water like an airplane on a runway before getting into the air.

"$First no Floater upgrade, then no Vertical Take-Off Boosters.$" Klika teased in Draque. "$You really went bare structure with your hovercraft, didn't you nephew?$"

"$That's not nice, Aunt Klika. You try affording all the fingers and toes on a xenobiologist's salary!$" retorted the driver in Draque.

_Klika's nephew?_ I thought for a second, but then I remembered there was this giant sea serpent chasing me. I looked behind me and saw the green ocean surface falling beneath me.

But then from the falling ocean surface, came the yellow-green fish head. It leaped from the ocean like it was auditioning for _Free Willy IV_. It flew up to meet us at a shocking speed. It nearly clamped down on the back of the hovercraft, but it missed by a few inches and started to fall headfirst back to the sea, with its long serpent body covered in fish fins following behind it.

"$Oh, damnation, it IS a Nogradandy!$ said the driver.

"Don't worry. You flew us high enough." I reassured him.

"$That's not going to save us.$" the driver replied darkly.

I looked back behind to us to see the sea serpent called the Nogradandy. It swam under us and once again it leapt from the ocean surface, but this time it spread its fins as it exited the water. The Nogradandy reached the top of his leap.

And stayed there.

"BULL. SHIT!" I yelled in shock as I realized what was happening. The Nogradandy could fly. "No fucking way. You gotta be shitting me!"

And now it was following us.

"$Sir David, may I suggest harnessing yourself.$" Hollin said.

I wasn't sure how the harness worked, but Babylon showed me. It was basically two restraining straps on my ankles and thick belt around my abdomen with a cuff for a tail I didn't have.

"$Is it a Terrormorph?$" Chydla asked.

"Doubtful, that thing scared off three of them, including the serial killer."

"$Is this the vehicle's top speed?$" Hollin asked the driver.

"$Yes, and if you call my hovercraft cheap ONE MORE TIME, Aunt Klika . . . .$" the driver warned.

"It's flying above us. It's flying above us." I reported.

((It's gonna bite down on us from above.)) Bone theorized.

"$Head for land. Head for land!$" Klika repeated.

"$What do you think I'm doing? Stop side-seat piloting!$" yelled her nephew. "$We're almost there, but you know that still won't save us!$"

"You mean that thing is also amphibious?" I asked.

"$Well, it certainly isn't breathing water in the sky!$"

((You can't always run from a King Cat.)) Bone stated. ((You need to use your horns or die.))

"What?" I asked.

((Does this ship have any weapons?))

"$That's the one finger no civilian hovercraft comes with.$" the driver said in Galard.

"$This doesn't.$" said Babylon in Galard. "$I do.$"

"Babylon, what are you doing?" I asked.

"$Running away. Bad Idea.$" Babylon said as he reached into his bag. "$Shredder Pulse Wave. Good Idea.$"

((Almost lunch time!)) Bone warned as the Nogradandy was about to snap its jaws on us.

"$Open the hatch!$" Hollin commanded.

The driver complied and Babylon threw the shredder pulse wave emitter into the mouth of the Nogradandy. The driver quickly closed the hatch as we noticed a flash of light glowing from the Nogradandy's belly.

The shock of the blast sent the flying sea serpent toppling end over end in the sky.

Unfortunately this caused it to hit us with either its head or tail (It was hard to tell at that point). The result was that WE were now toppling end to end.

"I feel like throwing up." I said. "I kinda miss that feeling."

"$I can't get control.$" said the driver.

"$Let me guess: no gyro-stabilizers either.$" Klika snidely commented.

"$Not the time, Auntie!$"

"$Are we crashing into land or ocean?$" Chydla asked.

"$Does it matter?$" Babylon asked in HBA-L.

I hung for dear life onto two handholds above me (though they might have technically been designed as tentacle-holds). Bone was still in that weird bug morph so he just hung onto the floor with his insect parts.

The Dayangs commenced to panic screaming.

"$AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!$" Klika screamed.

"$WE'RE CRASHING!$" Chydla yelled.

"$BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!$" Hollin warned.

"$I DON'T WANT TO DIE A VIRGIN!!!!!!$" The driver blurted.

WHAM! The Hovercraft hit the ground nose first. We teetered a bit before we landed right-side up, which felt like a severe kick in the ass, but better that than cracking our heads open, I suppose. The force of the landing cracked the plastic dome around us.

"$Uuuuuuuuh! Did we make it?$" Klika asked.

"$I think so, Auntie.$" her nephew reassured.

"$Casualty report!$" Commanded Hollin, switching back to Galard protocol.

"$I'm fine, Captain." Chydla reported.

"$Klika, any injuries?$" Hollin asked.

Klika groaned in a high-pitched way. "$Just enough to make look . . . . interesting.$"

The way Klika displayed her tentacles was interpreted by my implant as . . . . sultry. _Hitting on him now?_ I forgot how shameless Klika could be. I thought that was how all Dayang females were, but Chydla seemed to be able to control herself.

"$Very well, then. You, citizen?$" Hollin asked the driver.

"$Nothing a kilo of tranq wouldn't cure.$" said the driver. "$And the name is Farser. Farser Rowach-467. Please remember the name of the poor xenobiologist who wrecked his hovercraft at his crazy aunt's whim to rescue the aliens that are supposed to rescue us.$"

"$Sir David, are you and your cohorts injured?$"

"I'm a little banged up, but I'm good." I said. "Babylon?"

"$Shredder Pulse Wave. _Dumb_ Idea.$" said a slightly bleeding hork-bajir.

"Don't worry about it, Babylon." I chuckled. I spotted the parrot-sized bug walking around my feet as if it were drunk and picked it up. Bone's morph had two compound eyes and two simple ones. I couldn't assess his compound eyes, but his simple eyes couldn't seem to focus on anything. "Bone?"

(('You got a fast car/ I got a ticket to anywhere/ Maybe we can make a deal/ Maybe together we can get somewhere'.))

"He'll be fine. He just needs to demorph."

"$Then let's get out of this wreck.$" Hollin suggested.

"$Dome won't lift or retract.$" Farser announced.

Not soon enough for Babylon, he stood up and hit his head and top horn on the cracked dome, which shattered it.

"$Yes, of course.$" Farser grumbled as small pieces of plastic rained down on him.

As four Dayangs, a hork-bajir, a human, and an alien bug escaped the wrecked hovercraft, we heard the faraway splash of something large landing in the water.

"$That would be the Nogradandy. I don't know what condition it's in, but just in case it's awake and angry we should leave and head for the city.$"

"$Military emergency vehicles should already be on their way to our location.$" Hollin said.

"$My Captain, there is also the Terrormorphs to consider.$" Chydla reminded.

"Terrormorphs?" Farser repeated the made-up English word.

"$The codename Sir Bonehead assigned to Gwarver's terrorists.$" Chydla explained.

"$'Terrormorphs'. Good name.$" Farser replied while his compound eye glowed bright. His upper two tentacles were raised as his lower two tentacles lay prone on the ground. My translator implant interpreted these gestures differently, but altogether, it meant that Farser was obviously smitten with Chydla and didn't have a fucking clue on how to deal with it. He was kind of like Marco, but without the charm. Farser must have realized he was staring and mooning like an idiot and tried to look and sound official. "$Er, ar, nar . . . I mean, the metro-trail shouldn't be too far from here, and once we got off the beach we should be able to see any oncoming emergency vehicles.$"

"Let's give Bone a minute to demorph first." I requested. "Bone, can you hear me?"

((Lion pride, my hairy butt! Where'd my hair go? I HAVE ARMS!!!!)) Bone babbled.

"You're in morph, remember? Demorph, and maybe your head will clear." I said I placed him down on the ground and let him demorph.

"$I think Sir Bonehead's use of that B'cha B'cha morph was superb.$" Farser commented. "$When we found him, he was using his four legs to skim on the water while paddling with his claws, just as the real b'cha b'cha bugs do on the rivers of the Hork-Bajir World.$"

I gave him a look of confusion as Bone finished his morph.

"$Extraordinary!$" Farser said upon seeing Bone in his own body. "$When I saw the hooves form from the b'cha b'cha, I assumed Sir Bonehead must be an Andalite warrior, but this is quite clearly a Cape Buffalo from the African continent of Terra Firma. Amazing. I wasn't aware that species was sentient.$"

((We're not usually.)) Bone replied. ((My head does feel better now, Boss!))

"$Er . . . ar . . . . I wasn't aware that any Terran species had thought-speech.$"

((I'm a freak of technology.))

"Bone, shut up." I said tersely. I guess I was still pissed at him for disobeying me. I decided to explain my comrades to my dayang friends. "He's mutated, Farser. The technology that did this is also the reason why Babylon has purple skin instead of the usual color. He's new race of Hork-Bajir, genetically engineered."

Farser looked at Babylon with a look that in any species can be interpreted as 'geek wonder'. Babylon looked uncomfortable at Farser's fascination in him.

"Hey!" I prompted. "He may have been born in a lab, but he's still a sentient person with the same rights and desires as you or me."

"$I'm not sure what you mean, Sir David.$" Farser replied.

"It means, quit looking at me like I belong in a glass globe!" Babylon angrily snapped. "I've done that once. Didn't like it."

Oh right, I forgot what Kirag told me about the tragic fate of Brood 10 and Babylon's cursed luck in particular.

Babylon continued to stare down Farser and I felt it was his turn to feel uncomfortable. I decided to break the tension. "How were you able to identify Bone and his morph?" I asked.

Klika answered for him. "$My nephew is one of the leading xenobiologists in Gianna Draquen.$"

Farser's tentacles quivered in a mixed gesture of embarrassment and pride. "$My specialty, obviously, is taxonomy.$"

"You identify animals. I get it." I said.

"$Shall we make our way to the metro-trail, now? We are, after all, trying to avoid detection by morph-capable terrorists.$" Hollin commanded snidely.

As we walked through thin, red shrubs and open fields of pink grass, Bone walked next to me and looked like he wanted to talk to me, but I think he could tell I was mad at him.

I guess he finally got the courage. ((Um, if you're tired, Boss. I can be your 'loyable steed' again.))

"That's fine, Bone. I'm not tired." I replied a little more harshly than I meant to.

((Are you mad at me?)) Bone asked me as if he was five-years-old.

"Why would I be mad at you, Bone? Could it be that you argued with me when I told you to morph something small? Could it be that you attacked a terrormorph without my order?" I replied sarcastically.

((Why do I need an order to defend our friends?)) Bone asked me. It wasn't a snotty question, he asked me as if he truly didn't understand.

"Damnit, Bone. These are morphers. They aren't king cats or tree cats or anything else you've had to fight back in Africa. Your instincts alone aren't gonna cut it anymore. You're more than just an animal now; you're sentient. You need to make decisions based on what's right and wrong, not your pure instincts."

((How am I supposed to ignore my instincts?))

"Don't ignore them. Adapt them. Adapt your instincts and make good decisions, the least of which is to wait for me to give the order before you go attacking morphed creatures. When we are on a mission, you follow orders."

"_David, I'm very tired of having this conversation with you, but when we are on a mission, you follow orders." Jake demanded me._

I hate it when I get déjà vu.

((What was I supposed to do? Let Babylon or the dayangs get eaten?))

"Don't mouth off at me, boy. You keep calling me Boss, but you've been nothing but disrespectful, disobedient, and contrary since I took you in. Is this how it was in your herd back home?"

((In the herd, we trusted one another.))

"That wasn't trust. Don't equate your mindless, animal instincts with complex sentient constructs. It's insulting."

((Is that all I am to you? An animal? A beast? That's what you wish I was, don't you?))

"Excuse me?" I angrily shot back at Bone as I stopped walking.

((I heard what you said to Quafijinivon.)) Bone revealed. I was somewhat shocked that he said Quafijinivon's name right. ((You didn't want my head to be fixed. You wanted to take away my morphing power. You wanted to take away the very thing that made me more that what I was born as. Ever since I got my head fixed you've been fighting with me, always telling me I'm wrong or dumb or stupid. And ever since I got my head fixed you have not said it once. Not like she did.)) Bone complained.

"Said what? She who?" I asked, not knowing what he meant.

"$Do you two have to have this argument _NOW_?$" Hollin complained.

I turned head to him and his compound eye, tentacles, and even his main arms and muzzle all displayed various expressions of annoyance.

"That doesn't explain why you felt the need to attack a dangerous person in a dangerous animal morph as a relatively harmless bug."

((In the herd, we did what was necessary to survive. For the good of the herd. The _whole _herd.)) Bone said as if that was an answer.

"Maybe the good of this herd is to LISTEN TO ME! You acquire and morph animals without my knowledge or permission. You questioned my orders back in the elevator." I seethed.

"$Seriously, can we resolve this?$" Farser complained. "$You're going to attract the Terrormorphs.$"

"$What's the matter with you, Farser?$" Klika asked. "$Let the boys argue.$"

"I gave you an order, Bone." I continued. "I when I give an order, I expect it to be followed without question."

_((I gave you an order, Aleks. I when I give an order, I expect it to be followed without question.))_

I hate it even more when I get demonic déjà vu.

((I was trying to tell you I had a bird morph, but you wouldn't listen to me.)) Bone retorted.

"Well, gee, Bonehead, how am I supposed to keep abreast of whatever morphs you have when I don't know what you acquire?"

_On the Iskoort Home World, I ate a Boda Salt to give us an edge against the Howlers. The others, for some reason, thought that this was a bad idea._

"_Stop being such pussies! I took one, I'm fine." I said._

"_You took one?!" Jake responded_

"_What?"_

"_You took one, without asking us?"_

"_What? Am I supposed to ask you every time I eat something? Fuck you!"_

"_David, I'm very tired of having this conversation with you, but when we are on a mission, you follow orders." Jake demanded me._

"_You don't control me, Jake! Except that." I said angrily._

((You could try listening to me and trusting me. Like you said, I'm more than just an animal now. You can't control me!)) Bone continued.

"I'M NOT TRYING TO CONTROL YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL PISSANT. I'M TRYING TO PROTECT YOU!!!" I exploded.

At that moment, I saw many of my early conflicts with Jake in a different light.

"I think I just got bitch-slapped by karma." I said.

"$Amazing. David the homo sapien morpher.$" said a voice. I turned around to see a black haired dayang walking toward me. His black hair had clear streaks through it. I recognized this dayang: Captain Gwarver.

Captain Gwarver had two blue-green creatures with him. They were Bone's size and had triceratops-looking faces without horns and their crests were completely vertical. They both had four rhino-ish legs and a small police badge-shaped bulbous bump on their rears. They each had a large 12 foot tendril coming out of their backs. They looked like giant dibulobs.

"$David the Saboteur.$" Gwarver continued. "$Clever enough to trick me and the dreaded Visser Three, but doesn't have enough sense not to shout in an alien language when he's being hunted.$"

"Gwarver!" Hollin said with barely contained disgust and rage in his voice. "$Do a favor for yourself and your freak exposition and just surrender. Return the Andalite Ambassador, her attendant, and the morphing cube to us, before we have to do something we're all going to regret.$"

"$Hollin, you mutinous space-garbage, I only want to hear six words from you.$" Gwarver said. "$'We are ready to give you your ship.'$" Which in Draque, is six words.

"$That will not happen.$" Hollin insisted.

"$Then we have nothing to discuss.$ Gwarver said with a slight flick of one of his tentacles.

The eotto'ot and the lazunbi soared down and landed on our dayang friends. Bone, Babylon, and I were now surrounded.

"Hollin! Klika! Chydla!" I yelled. "Farser!"

"$Thanks for getting around to me.$" Farser muttered as his body was pinned down by the talon of the eotto'ot. "$I told you we should have kept moving, but no one listens to the smart point.$"

"$Farser, shut up.$" Klika muttered from underneath the other talon of the eotto'ot.

"$Captain Hollin is unconscious, Sir David.$" Chydla reported.

"$Now, just between us morphers.$" Gwarver snickered as he and his giant dibulob-like creatures walked toward me.

"What are these giant dibulob things, Farser?" I asked.

"$Not dibulobs, torgabals. Their heads are hard, and they can snap their tendrils like bullwhips.$" Farcer warned me.

"$Sir David,$" Gwarver addressed, "$I am hoping you can be more reasonably dealt with.$"

"You underestimated me last time, Gwarver. I didn't even have a fraction of the power that I have now. What makes you think this time will be any different?"

"$Because I've seen what you're capable of.$" Gwarver snickered. "$The ambassador currently . . . . . residing with us had a recording on her person that contained the most interesting show. A show our mutual friends would be very interested to see. I don't know how this lovely broadcast missed our receivers, but we'll be happy to correct the oversight through our civilian info-cortex.$"

Oh no. I was suddenly glad Hollin was unconscious. "Unless?"

"$Unless you supply us with the ship we want. You don't have to give me yours; the Andalite ship docked at the Super-Atmo will be enough.$"

"You've seen it. You've seen what I could do, and yet you still have the balls to try to negotiate with me. Dayangs: the Warrior Merchants."

"$Now you're just stalling.$" Gwarver said.

"I should vaporize you and your brood right here and now. You morphing amateurs aren't worth my time."

"$And murder our mutual friends as well?$"

"Four innocents versus the safety of the entire galactic arm. I'm sure they'd understand."

"$Innocent? Did I translate that right? Hardly. Still, that would be just like you, David. Destroy whatever you don't like. Never mind those you will hurt along the way.$" Gwarver taunted. "$Just like you did with my Thanatosts and my chance at Wyrphat'd.$"

"So self-centered. You've duped five fools into following you, and still you only care about yourself. That's just like _you_, Gwarver."

"$Then we've established that neither of us care about those four dayangs my compatriots have at their mercy. If that is the truth, then there's no point in keeping them around at all.$" Gwarver said as he motioned to the terrormorphs in large flyer morphs. "$Kill them.$"

"Babylon. Shredder." I commanded quickly.

Babylon, in one fluid motion, pulled a shredder from his bag and shot both flyers with a stun level shredder blast.

"That was a warning. The next one turns you into atoms. Go stand with Gwarver." I commanded.

"You heard the boss. Go back to your master, Terrormorphs." Babylon threatened.

I saw Hollin stir awake. "Hollin? You okay?" I asked.

"$I feel like a lazunbi landed on me.$"

"$It did, Captain.$" Chydla said.

The eotto'ot waddled to Gwarver, but the lazunbi lay prone on the ground.

Babylon moved closer to the lazunbi. "Move, terrormorph."

((I . . . . hurt.)) It said.

Babylon moved closer and adjusted the shredder's level. "Then I'll take you out of your misery."

"$Sir Babylon! Watch out!$" Farser tried to warn.

The Lazunbi's neck stretched and its strong jaws clamped onto the sides of Babylon's arms, apparently not bothered by his wrist blades.

((Babylon!)) Bone shouted.

"$Good work, Frozeon. Bring him here.$" Gwarver ordered.

"No!" I shouted as metracroyle wings sprouted from back.

"$I wouldn't do that, David. Unless you want your hork-bajir friend to lose more than his arms.$" Gwarver threatened.

Bone tried to rush him, but the lazunbi (apparently named Frozeon), flapped above his reach.

Our four friendly dayangs joined behind me.

Hollin whispered into my ear. "$The emergency vehicles should be here soon. If we can stall them long enough, we might be able to trap them.$"

"$It seems you're the one who underestimated his opponent this time, David.$" Gwarver taunted. "$Now, let's review. I want a ship. I offer as payment your reputation and the life of your strangely colored Hork-Bajir slave.$"

"My death is worth more than my life, Boss David. Let me die." Babylon said, once again displaying that suicidal nature that Karig warned me about.

"$Now wait just a moment; what's this? The Hork-Bajir's satchel?$" Gwarver said as he ripped the straps of Babylon's bag to steal it.

"Stay out of there!" I shouted.

"$Let's see,$" Gwarver said, ignoring me and pulling things out with his tentacles as he named them, "Dracon Beam. Shredder. Dracon Beam. Shredder. Components for a Dracon Rifle, that's excellent."

Gwarver next pulled the small lockbox with the numeral code-lock that held the vial-darts of Protimus-bots in one tentacle. In the other, he pulled the Palm Proteus. "$These look important.$" He said as he threw them.

"LA!" Gwarver said suddenly. "$This is what I was looking for. The infamous protimus-bots!$" What? He already threw those away.

Gwarver held up with his main hands three syringes filled with a brown sloshy liquid.

"I . . . . don't know what those are." I said honestly.

"Leave those alone!!" Babylon yelled as he tried to lunge out of Frozeon's grip.

"$You, I almost believed, but you should teach your Hork-Bajir how to bluff.$" Gwarver said as he handed the vials to his ground arms. Then his ground arms broke them all in half.

"Noooooooo!" Babylon yelled.

What the hell were those things and why did Babylon need them?

"$You are tiresome, David. If you're not going to cooperate with me, than just leave. At the risk of a mis-haggle, I'll give you a great bargin. I'll return your servant and give you the ambassador's copy of your broadcast if you just leave the planet NOW.$" Gwarver demanded.

"Forget it, Gwarver. I'm not leaving without Babylon, the Andalites, _and_ the morphing cube."

"$Then you may never leave Gianna Draquen.$" Gwarver sneered. "$Frozeon, release the Hork-Bajir. If he's so willing to die, then killing him is hardly any fun.$"

Frozeon tossed Babylon toward us. Klika and Farser attended to him as Hollin and Chydla stood by me.

"$Now, Frozeon and Lebla demorph. I want them to know who we are as they die.$"

((We got to do something, Boss.)) Bone said to me.

"Be patient, Bone." I whispered. "We can't do anything that will cause Gwarver to retreat before Hollin's reinforcements get here."

The eotto'ot demorphed into a red-haired female dayang. The lazunbi demorphed into a large, green-haired male dayang.

"$Meet Lebla Synda-300. She was able to get our blue box from the Andalite spy.$" Gwarver introduced.

"$Your reputation precedes you, Sir David. I hope you're as much fun as I've been led to believe.$" Lebla teased in a sultry tone not unlike Klika's.

"$And this high stalk of jirem is my second-in-command, Lt. Frozeon Andsomgi-371.$"

"$You're going to regret interjecting yourself into our affairs, Saboteur.$" Frozeon threatened.

"$Now,$" Gwarver prompted, "$who's your large partner?$"

((Chydla calls me Sir Bonehead. My herd calls me Bone. You're neither, shithead!))

"$Charming little monster.$" Gwarver commented. "$Now that we all know each other . . . $"

"Wait. Who are the Torga-twins?" I asked.

"$Oh, you've already met these two.$"

The Torgabal facing me turned its head to look at Gwarver. ((Please don't.))

But Gwarver continued. "$Surely, you remember the two privates who first found you. No? Allow me to refresh your memory. This is Erko Zeair-576,$" Gwarver identified as the torgabal in front of me. Then at the torgabal in front of Bone, "$and this is his interesting best friend, my nephew, Picum Passay-040.$"

"Erko and Picum?" I repeated. They were the two dayangs who first found me aboard the _Rogin Gavic_. Both of them seemed like nice boys. I mean, yes, Picum was energetic and annoying, but they seemed like good kids. These two were also in Hollin's command.

The torgabal in front of Bone, Picum, started waving his tendril at me. ((Hey David! It's been a very long time since our last encounter.)) Picum said in a very jovial tone of voice. ((You grew hair on your face!))

((I'm so sorry for this.)) the torgabal in front of me, Erko, said sadly.

((Yeah, this 'fighting you'-thing kind of drops it, but Erko and I can morph now, just like you. We can turn into animals! Isn't that delightful??))

((This guy's an idiot.)) Bone commented.

"$Captain. Stop playing with them and just kill them.$" Frozeon strongly 'suggested'.

"$One thing I learned from my fracture, Lieutenant, is that you need to learn to have some fun once and awhile.$" Gwarver commented. "$New game, boys: whoever kills their alien usurper first gets out of beloqush cleaning duty for a week.$."

"$Fifty precio on Erko.$" Frozeon whispered to Lebla as he presented his right hand palm up to her.

"$Accord.$" Lebla stated she tapped Frozeon's presented palm with her two left tentacles.

((Any morphing orders, Boss?)) Bone asked me.

"I was gonna morph into you, so whatever, Bone. I trust you."

Bone looked at me, and I could swear he was smiling. ((The special, personal Bonehead touch it is.))

I had two buffalo morphs, each of Bone, one before his 'head fix' and one after. I had morphed both in a row once to see if I could spot the difference. It felt the same. Except the 'after' morph had andalite time-keeping and magnetic sensitivity senses which I didn't even notice right away.

I played it safe and morphed the 'before'-Bone.

"$On the count of three. . . . wait for it . . . .$" Gwarver baited Erko and Picum. "Weck. . . "

((You're looking mighty handsome right now, Boss.)) Bone joked.

((Very funny, Bone. Try not to kill them. Disable only.)) I commanded.

"Pup." Gwarver counted.

((This is so wrong.)) Erko muttered.

"OCK!"

The Torgabals charged and Bone and I locked horns into our opponents.

"$And we have an exciting match-up today, Points and Tapers.$" Lebla said into one of her tentacles. I guess she was pretending to be a sportscaster. "$Two identical torgabals versus two identical . . . . alien hooved and horned things.$"

I dug my hooves into the dirt, but Erko pushed me back. I got in position to charge him, but at the last minute, he evaded and I hit a tree instead. Bone was doing better against Picum.

"David . . ." Hollin started.

((NO!)) I commanded. ((Stay out of this. Let Bone and I handle this. You guys just wait for the emergency reinforcements.))

"$Erko versus the infamous David the Saboteur and Picum versus newcomer Bonehead.$" Lebla continued. "$Erko seems to be making some progress against the morphing champion from Terra Firma while Picum struggles to get a good hit against his opponent.$"

I tried to ram Erko broadside, but he turned quickly once more, this time to catch my charge, and we locked foreheads again. ((Erko, you know I'm here to stop you and your mad boss.)) I told him. ((I don't want to, but I might have to take you and Picum out too.))

((I'd wish you luck, but if I don't do what Gwarver says, he may do something to me and Picum. He's completely lost his rutting mind.)) Erko pleaded. ((And I don't want to even think about what Frozeon will do if he loses money because of me.))

"$Tendril strategy is being used here. Picum seems to be whipping the mysterious Bonehead repeatedly with his tendril while Erko is attempting wrap his around Sir David's neck.$"

((It isn't too late for you two.)) I said as I tried to pull my head back so Erko couldn't get to my neck. ((Come with us, join my side, and the two of you can use your powers for good.))

((Both of us?))

"$Oh, but it looks like Erko's tendril is too thick to get between the massive alien head and its body. Oh well. Erko is wisely using the tendril to swat back any attempts by Sir David to twist out of the wave of power that is a ramming torgabal.$"

((No, it'll never work.)) Erko lamented. ((Picum will not leave his uncle, and I can't leave him. I'm so sorry.))

I felt the ground slip between my hooves. Erko was about to push me to my back. ((Godspeed, Erko.))

"$OH! In a startling upset, newcomer Bonehead has flipped Picum on his belly by getting its massive horned head underneath Picum's torgabal chin. Any minute, Bonehead is going to be gouging poor Picum with those nasty horns, but the real tragedy, points and tapers, will be that I will owe Frozeon fifty precio.$"

"$Get up, Picum!$" Gwarver yelled. "$Don't just sit there and call! Do something.$"

((AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!)) Bone thought-yelled in pain.

((Wa-wa-wa!)) Picum thought-spoke in surprise.

((Bone!))

((Picum!))

Erko and I ran to our respective partners. Bone's right front leg shook like it was in pain. Picum was rapidly demorphing.

"$Picum, why did you demorph?$" Gwarver demanded.

"$Don't know, Captain. Hoof on my belly make me feel tingly. Then ZAF! No more torgabal, just own handsome self!$" Picum, the young, blue-haired, male dayang, babbled in his usual manner.

((I tried to acquire him, but it hurt. A lot.)) Bone said.

((Bone, you can't acquire DNA from a morph.)) I explained.

((Why? What happens?))

((Apparently this! How's your hoof?)) I asked as I demorphed.

((Still ouchies. I'm sorry, Boss. I don't mean to be so bad.))

"Who said you were bad?" I asked him.

"$Time to stop calling the game and get in it.$" Lebla said.

The five terrormorphs (four demorphed, one morphed) faced me and Bone.

"$Looks like this will take a team effort.$" Gwarver snarled. His compound eye went dark as his ground fingers dug into the dirt, an anxious habit.

"$Standard Battle Morphs?$" Frozeon asked, pointing all four tentacles at me, a gesture of challenging.

That's when I heard the sirens. And the sirens were suddenly very, very close.

Hovercrafts and other vehicles surrounded our position. A dayang I didn't recognize handed Captain Hollin and Chydla beam weapons that they pointed at the Terrormorphs.

"$Gwarver Passay-039. You are completely surrounded.$" Captain Hollin yelled above the din of low pitched hums of the collective hovercrafts.

"$Private Erko Zeair-576. You are hereby bound by law to demorph and stand down.$" Chydla commanded. Erko complied, and a torgabal became the young, brown-haired, male dayang.

"$In the name of Queen Dolaguel Rikrath-008, the Great Corporate Board of Legislature, and the Exalted Court of Understandings, Captain Gwarver and all complying Terrormorphs are hereby bound by law.$" Hollin ceremoniously proclaimed.

"$Oh, how careless of us.$" Gwarver said as Erko finished his demorph. "$We seemed to have misplaced one of our own. Krull?$"

A green haired dayang fell from a nearby purple tree and landed amongst the pieces of Babylon's mystery syringes. With impressive speed, he picked up a piece of sharp plastic with each of his four tentacles and pounced on me.

I flash morphed to Hork-Bajir, but I was on back before I knew it, looking up at a laughing dayang face while feeling sharp pains to my sides and chest. I wondered at the time if he was stabbing me as his name would suggest, but everything . . . started to get . . . . shiny. . . . .

**Bone**

"$Oh, how careless of us.$" said Captain Gwarver, leader of the evil Terrormorphs. "$We seemed to have misplaced one of our own. Krull?$"

Like a vicious Tree Cat, a dayang with green fur pounced from above and landed around the pieces of broken sharp stuff that Babylon had in his bag that the Boss didn't know. Like all sentient people, the vicious dayang had a name: Krull. It means to put holes in flesh. My name is Bonehead; it means thick-skulled.

When Krull attacked the Boss, all the Dayangs acted like they were about to stampede and it made me more than a little nervous. Then I realized that dayangs are sentient and they do not have hooves, so they probably had the good sense not to stampede.

Not that I was entirely wrong. Thirty Dayangs ran with their weird two part bodies toward Krull who stopped stabbing the Boss and started to drag his heavy, morphed, hork-bajir body toward Gwarver and the other terrormorphs.

I tried to run to Krull, but my right hoof still hurt a lot from trying to acquire DNA from a morph (because I'm an idiot). So I looked like I was about two minutes old, still trying to learn how to walk.

((Boss! Boss!)) I yelled, not that it helped at all.

"$Stay back, creature!$" Krull yelled, I guess at me. "$Stay back all of you! I'll stab him again. Stab! Stab!$"

Gwarver and the other Terrormorphs were able to reassemble with Krull. The one named Erko looked at the Boss's body with a look on his face that was different than the others. He was either very sad or very constipated.

Hey, I'm not used to interpreting expressions of dayangs. Or any expressions. Hell, a week and a half ago, I didn't even know what an expression was. Or what a week was for that matter.

The evil Gwarver took the sharp thing from Krull and threatened the Boss with it. "$I'll cut him again, Hollin. I'm sure you're familiar with Krull's work, so you know that Sir David is slowly dying of blood loss. You may be able to save him, if you can get to him. And the sooner you let us leave, the sooner you'll be able to get to him.$" Gwarver taunted. Boss David told me this was called 'negotiating.' Gwarver the Bad Guy turned to his fellow Terrormorphs "$Lirachurns; now.$"

As the other terrormorphs started to morph into little worms with lots of insect wings that looked liked the wings of the Pretty-Flappy-Bugs (Humans call them Butterflies), Gwarver continued to keep the other dayangs away like an Alpha Death-Eater against other cackling death-eaters (Humans call them Hyenas, but Death-Eater sounds lots more awesome).

Hollin told all the dayangs to keep their distance. Gwarver stood over the Boss's body as he morphed into the Belga Vibrat thing he was when he found us in the Elevator Tube. Five Flappy Worms or Lirachurns latched onto the underbelly of the Belga Vibrat.

((And to think: He is the one you invited to save you. Ha Ha!)) Gwarver the Evil, Bad Guy said all mean-like as he flew off with the lirachurns attached to him. ((Till next time, Hollin!))

The Dayangs gathered around the Boss's bleeding body. He was in the body of a very huge unas Hork-Bajir. I had to practically drag myself toward him because my stupid leg wouldn't work. I even tried to morph, but I couldn't. That got me really worried.

But I was more worried about Boss David.

The dayangs had surrounded Boss David and were doing stuff to him. I think they were trying to help him, but they were speaking in their own language, which I didn't understand, so I asked one of the dayangs that was with us, a female named Chydla.

((What's wrong with Boss David? What are they doing to them.))

"$They're doctors, Bone. Medical people.$" Chydla said in Galard, a language I know. "$They're trying make sure he doesn't die.$"

Die? Boss David could die?

((He'd be okay, if he demorphed. Why doesn't he demorph?))

"$He's unconscious, Bone. He can't demorph.$" Chydla told me. "$Oh-no!$"

((What 'oh-no'? 'Oh-no' is bad!))

"$ They said 'He's bleeding too much'. He'd need a transfusion. But they don't have any hork-bajir blood.$"

((Hork-Bajir blood? Babylon! Babylon!)) I called.

Klika and Farser (two Good Guy dayangs) helped an injured Babylon reach me.

"What is it, Bonehead?" Babylon asked me.

((The Boss needs your blood.))

"Bone, that's not a good idea. Not only am I recovering from my own injuries, I'm sick. It's too dangerous to use my blood." Babylon said.

((Sick? You mean that whole Brood 10 thing?))

"How do you know about that?"

((I kind of overheard it. Long story. I know! I'll morph one of my Hork-Bajir morphs.))

I concentrated on the form of Laet Caffaj, a hork-bajir that had a yeerk in his head named Kirag. Unlike most yeerks, Kirag was not a Bad Guy. I was a little worried because the Boss got mad at me when I acquired Laet because I didn't ask Laet or Kirag for permission. I decided not to tell the Boss about all the other sentient people I acquired, although he's probably seen me as most of them.

I tried to morph into Laet, but it didn't work. ((My morphing isn't working.))

"$Didn't you just try to acquire DNA from a morph earlier?$" Klika asked me.

((Yes. I know. Stupid.))

"$Very, Sir Bonehead. You shorted out the andalite biotechnology by doing that. You'll probably get your morphing power back in about two hours, but I would never, ever try that again, else you run the risk of shorting out your morphing power permanently.$"

((No way, Klika. Lesson learned.)) I said. ((But that doesn't help the Boss.))

"$If we don't get him to wake up and demorph, he'll die from the blood loss.$" Chydla reminded.

"$But he probably passed _from_ the blood loss.$" Farser said. "$That's a pretty common liability in most species.$"

"$We could wake him up with panic hormone, but we don't have any of the Hork-Bajir version.$" Klika tried.

"We could use the Protimus-bots to demorph him directly." Babylon suggested.

"$Is that what e protimus-bots do? Control morphing?$" Klika asked, amazed. "$No wonder Gwarver made it a point to destroy them.$"

"He didn't. Those weren't the Protimus-bots. Those were . . . doses . . . . of medicine . . . that I need. That I'll need soon." Babylon said with self-concern in his voice, but then he shook his head, "I'll worry about that later. The real protimus-bots were in that lockbox; we have to find it."

Chydla went in one direction. Babylon limped in another direction, helped out by Farser. Klika went in another as I was supposed to go in last direction.

But I didn't want to leave Boss David's side.

I felt bad because Boss David and I got into a fight earlier. He yelled at me and said I was bad because I didn't do what he said.

Was Boss David going to die because I didn't do what he said?

No! I wasn't going to let him die! He was the Boss of my Herd! I have to show him that I'm good.

The dayangs worked frantically on the Boss's body, chattering at each other in Draque, but then they switched to Galard, which I think they only do for official stuff.

"$Respirations have halted and both pump rhythms have ceased.$" said one dayang in Galard.

"$We lack the necessary equipment to resuscitate a Hork-Bajir.$" said another.

"$I'm declaring it.$" said the first Dayang. "$Time of Death: Solar Zenith plus one point six$"

_Time of Death??? NOOOOO!!!_

((No! Get away from him! Boss! Wake up!)) I thought-screamed as I pushed away the dayangs.

_Oh sure, my right leg works _now

((Boss! Please! Wake up! You can't leave me! We haven't stopped any Bad Guys yet!))

I looked over at Babylon. They hadn't found the lockbox yet, and that was the only thing that could force him to demorph and heal.

Wait . . . not the only thing. When I tried to acquire DNA from Picum's morph, I felt lots and lots of pain and shorted out my morphing ability.

But I also made Picum demorph!

But if I try to acquire the Boss's morph, I could short out my own morphing forever.

Oh well.

Since I still couldn't feel my front right hoof very well, I used my left front hoof. I didn't want to use my head. There's no way I could still concentrate with all that pain centered there.

I placed my left hoof on Boss David's 'corpse' and tried to acquire it.

Nothing happened.

If I couldn't morph, maybe I couldn't acquire either. _No! Have to try!_

I concentrated the best I could.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. PAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNNNN!!!!!

My second home after the savannahs of Africa was a place called New Jersey, where I lived in a big ceiling-less cage that I could run in and humans looked at me all day. Very boring. I tried to get out once by going to the cage and bashing my head against it, but I felt this pain that made me think of lighting. That cage pain went through my whole body and it hurt a lot.

This was worse.

My left leg felt like a thousand tiny cat mouths were biting it. My head felt like it was being split open like a long nosed giant (or elephant as a human would say) was stepping on it. The rest of my body hurt like a rival herd was gouging their horns everywhere.

It was the worst pain ever. I couldn't even open my eyes, but I wanted to force them open so I could make sure the Boss was demorphing.

I think I heard voices in English and Galard ask me what I was doing.

I finally forced my eyes open and the rays from the red sun of Gianna Draquen hurt my eyes, but I looked at my Boss hoping I would no longer see the massive Hork-bajir with a hundred holes in him.

I saw a human with yellow hair.

I stopped acquiring and collapsed.

I was back in First Home, except the grass was pink like Gianna Draquen, not a pale yellow like it should be. The trees should be green, but they were purple. One tree was red.

That's when I heard the growl. Tree Cat!

Tree Cats are yellow with black spots shaped like hoof prints, not to be confused with the Fast Cats which aren't very dangerous to Buffalo at all. Tree Cats are sneaky and devious, but they drag food into trees. Those cats could never drag a full grown buffalo into a tree! I was supposed to be careful of Tree Cats when I was infant.

But I'm not an infant anymore.

The Tree Cat jumped from the red tree. His fur was green, not yellow, but it didn't matter. I kicked my back legs into the air and my hooves hit that stupid Tree Cat in his dumb, spotty, little face.

The green Tree Cat lay on the ground dead. I heard a snort. A Horn-Nose! He was purple, not gray like he should be, but it was a Horn-Nose. Horn-Noses eat plants like we do, but like us, they'll attack if we get to close.

I guess it decided I was too close. The Horn-Nose charged me. His skin was stronger than mine, but he was also lots slower than me. I moved quickly and hit him broadside. He fell down on his side, so I stabbed one of my horns into his belly. Horn-Nose dead.

Trumpting! A Brown Long-Nose Giant. Another wrong colored creature from home. His silly long nose was no problem, but his giant curvy tusks were. His skin was hard like a Horn-Nose, but his belly was also soft. Problem was his legs were like trees. So it was not like I could bash him broadside like the Horn-Nose.

The Long-Nose curled its dumb long nose and tried to hit me with his curved tusks. He aimed too low and fell on his front knees. So I got a stupid idea. I bashed with my head.

In his butt! Ha Ha. His long nose was sucking mud after his big head and his dumb big flappy ears hit the dirt. I moved quickly on my little hooves and hit the dumb long nose in his side and he went down on his side just like the Horn-Nose. He tried to kick me with his big fat tree legs, but I was able to get my horns into his belly. Long-nose dead!

RAWR!! I turned my head and I saw a King Cat and a Queen Cat. No surprise. The King Cat was red and the Queen Cat was blue. That was kind of a surprise.

The Queen Cat came after me first. I freaked out and ran. The Queen Cat pounced and got my rump. I kicked my back hooves out of instinct and the queen cat hopped away from me. She pounced again and got my back. I bucked out of instinct again and she flew off in front of me. I tried to stomp on her head with my front hooves, but I missed. She swiped my front legs and it hurt.

"_Adapt your instincts and make good decisions"_

The Queen Cat pounced on me again, but instead I reared up on my back hooves and stomped on her stupid chompy face with my front hooves. Then I came down on my front hooves right on her dumb little body! Queen Cat DEAD!

The King Cat roared at me and started to charge at me. My instincts were to run away, but I stopped thinking of him as a King Cat and started thinking of him like just another rival. My instincts say you don't run from rivals.

My instincts say you headbutt them.

The King Cat charged and I charged back. I knew he would pounce when he got close. I just had to be ready to give him a full head of horn. The King Cat pounced!

So did I. The King Cat may have been able to get a claw full of Buffalo back, but instead he got Bonehead's bonehead in the gut.

The King Cat flew like he was a warthog I just bunted and landed on his back. I trotted up to him and just like I did to his stupid mate, I reared up and bashed my hooves into his belly. He clawed at me and hurt me and he was even able to twist away and get back on his paws, but that's when I gave him a horn to the side. The King Cat roared, reared back, and collapsed. King Cat Dead. Bonehead von Buffalo rules!

"_You did good, Bone."_

((What?))

I was doing this new thing my brain does when its asleep called dreaming. I woke up. My front right leg felt okay. I could barely feel my front left leg. I was on a little platform that was moving. Another flying vehicle, I guess. I looked around and I saw Farser and Babylon.

And Boss David. In his own body.

((Boss! You're okay.))

"I hear I have you to thank for that." Boss David said. "I can't believe I was nearly stabbed to death twice in three weeks."

((Maybe you should adapt your instincts. Make better decisions.))

Boss David laughed. "Was it good decision to risk your morphing power?"

((Depends for who. You're alive instead of dead. That's good. But I may be a stupid sentient buffalo instead of a stupid sentient buffalo who morphs and fights bad guys. That actually really sucks.))

"You're not stupid, Bonehead." Boss David said as he grabbed my head. I tensed up; last time he did this he yelled at me. "You are good, Bonehead von Buffalo. You are very good, and don't ever forget that."

Awesome.

((Thanks Boss. Sometimes I wonder. You are good, too.))

Boss David laughed again. "I wish."

Boss David didn't think he was good? Wow.

((You are, you now.)) I pressed.

Boss David didn't respond to that. "Thanks for saving my life."

((Hey, what're loyable steeds for?))

"You know it's—"

((Yeah, I know it's 'loyal and noble' not loyable, but loyable is funnier. Just like Quaffy is funnier than Quafijinivion. And also easier to say, even in thought-speech. I just like playing with words.))

"Cute."

((I can do it with anything. You, Boss David, are a good boss. That makes you a 'Guboss'.))

That's when Babylon laughed. I've never heard him laugh before.

"You make me sound like a Mario game villian." Boss David said. I think he was talking about video games, but I wasn't sure.

"So what am I, Bone?" Babylon asked.

((You're a Cl'shoe.))

Babylon winced as Boss David laughed very loudly.

((It's decided.)) I said. ((I'm loyable. Boss is guboss, and you're cl'shoe.))

"$So that was a funny joke I told when we were about to crash, right?$" Farser stuttered. "$You know about me dying a virgin.$"

Boss David and Babylon looked at him funny. So did I.

((And you're a schmuck.))


	65. Galaxy Tour V: Regroup at Cindre

**Day 8 – late afternoon**

I woke up in a room provided for me at the Cindre Imperial Base. The timepiece on the wall said it was five point two hours past Solar Zenith, which means I was asleep for three Draque hours (however long they are). It was still the same day on Gianna Draquen as when I landed, but who knows if it's still the same day back on Earth. I've lost track of what day it would be. I suppose I could ask Ayla, but that would just make me homesick.

Funny, I've considered _Proteus_ to be my home, yet it doesn't feel completely like home unless we're on Terra Firma.

If I just go by the definition of a "day" from wherever I was, it had been eight days since I left Terra Firma. Eight days since the _last_ time I was nearly stabbed to death. I hoped the Animorphs hadn't gotten into any trouble without me.

Bone and Babylon were asleep in the room with me. They were offered their own rooms, but wanted to stay in my room. I had just nearly died and they wanted to keep vigil. It was unsettlingly nice of them.

It reminded me of Cassie. How caring she was. I've always been so insistent that no one cares about me, but in actuality, many do. Tobias, Aximili, Cassie.

Melissa.

Now Bone and Bablyon. It wasn't in my nature to trust others so completely, yet . . . .

I let them stay. Babylon slept in his usual hork-bajir tripod position. The Dayang officers brought bags of a blue-green substance that was a lot like hay for Bone to sleep on. I actually wanted to keep an eye on Bone. He may have permanently damaged his morphing power, ostensibly becoming a nothlit in his own body. When we met up with Dr. Orbin, he suggested we not try to have Bone morph for at least two hours. No point in rushing it, I supposed.

Bone and Babylon also both got language implants. I wondered how much that would help or hinder Babylon's trouble with languages. I found out that the language implants were made of organic metal, which is why it stayed with me in morph.

I left my quarters with Bone and Babylon still asleep. I was surprised to find Chydla waiting for me.

"$Sir David, I hope you are rested. Captain Hollin has requested your attendance for a briefing when you are able.$" Chydla informed me.

"$I'm able.$" I replied in Galard. I turned to a Dayang soldier who was guarding my quarters. "$When my cohorts rise inform them of my location.$"

"Boingy Boingy!" He said, which is actually a Draque phrase that means roughly 'Aye Aye!'.

Chydla led me through the hallways of the Cindre Imperial Base into a large room with Captain Hollin, Dr. Orbin, and four Dayang officers I didn't recognize. All six dayangs plus Chydla laid their lower bodies on cushions situated around an oval table with Hollin at one long end. This was the Dayang equivalent of sitting. I sat my butt down on the cushion at the other long end of the oval.

Hollin pointed all four tips of his tentacles on the table surface, signifying the start of the briefing.

"$Sir David Hunting, on behalf of the Sovereign Entity of Gianna Draquen, let me start by apologizing for the disastrous welcome you received upon your arrival to my planet.$"

"It's all right, Hollin." I started. "Morphing powers and sociopaths are not a pleasant party mix. It's nice to see you again, Dr. Orbin. Officer Chydla. Other officers." I hoped I wouldn't have to sit through too much Dayang ceremonial bullshit.

"$Then let's cut to key issues.$" Hollin said as he pushed a button on a small device he was holding.

When he pushed the button, the surface of the table shimmered, and directly in front of me were six images of dayang faces, the faces of the Terrormorphs. There were also images of three andalite faces. Lastly, there was an image of my face!

The table surface was apparently some sort of touch-computer screen. I was able to touch the images and read a report on each of the Terrormorphs. The reports even appeared in English to me, but as I looked over at the others, Draque to everyone else. Hollin was prepared.

I fought the temptation to read what the Dayangs had written about me and decided to focus my attention on the andalites involved. I learned that the kidnapped Andalite ambassador was a female named Panhar-Inarsa-Compan. Her attendant and fellow hostage was a female named Winnit-Leekai-Hatoil. The other attendant that was arrested for wandering in a restricted area was a male named Meklor-Spager-Fandeleon.

There was also a timeline report detailing each Terrormorph sighting and attack.

"$This is what we know, people. We have a lot to figure out. Now that we have our own morphing warrior at our aid, we can get to neutralizing these fractures, and once again restore our home to peace for the pursuit of wyrphat'd.$" Hollin concluded.

"$I must say,$" started an older, brown-haired dayang, "$why are we not addressing the fact that because of a serious blunder by a scientist in your command, Hollin, this alien has gotten his yellow-haired hands on our precious encryption technology? This is by far the biggest breach in Government Security in the history of our people.$"

A few of the officers slid their upper bodies all the way back along their lower bodies at the surprising force of this accusation. Dr. Orbin however, slid all the way forward as his compound eye glowed bright. "$You see HERE, SUMDAC!$" Dr. Orbin shouted at the officer, calling him by name.

But Hollin shushed them by slamming his main fists onto the table.

"$I did not ask Sir David to come here to face a tribunal.$" Hollin said. "$He is here to help us against the real threat. David Hunting is a loyal person who regards our people as well as his own. His exploits in saving us from the treacherous Visser Three are in the report, Sumdac.$"

"$Here's what I see in the report: This creature is from a base grade planet, yet he has managed to steal superior technology and use it to his own ends. Our encryption technology, andalite morphing, and what appears to be a modified yeerk warship!$" Sumdac ranted. "$A primitive alien possessing some of the most powerful technologies in the galaxy? This is a disaster. These humans are a mad race. We've all heard the stories of human refugees of the Yeerk Empire. They either end up as pirates with some free specie or suicidal saboteurs, and this 'loyal' Sir David Hunting is a prime example. I don't think our government should have anything to do with this gangster.$"

"'Gangster'?" I repeated. "You make me sound like Al Capone. You think we humans are all the same. Well, let me tell you, Sumdac. We humans are nothing if not varied.

"Your concerns are valid though, Sumdac," I continued, "but they're focused on the wrong person. Everything you're afraid that I am, is exactly what Gwarver will be if he gets off this rock. Then who will work with you? No one will ever trade with a Dayang again because everyone will think that dayangs are 'a mad race' and that 'they're all like Gwarver.' I understand you're upset over the leak in your encryption technology, but that's no reason to shut me out before I get a chance to help. I'm a friend, not a rival. Gwarver must be stopped. I'm here to help."

"$How?$" Sumdac asked, continuing to be difficult. At this point some of the other officers were curling their tentacles in wide coil shapes, the dayang equivalent of eye-rolling.

"$Gwarver can morph. Sir David can morph. This isn't advanced military strategy.$" said one of the officers.

"$It needs to be. Now, I remember what Captain Gwarver is like. He was captain of a major merchant starship. He can be extremely crafty and this was before he could turn into a belga vibrat. How are you going to figure out what he's planning when you don't even know the first thing about our culture?$"

"I admit I'm a bit at a loss for trying to understand how dayangs think," I began, somewhat snippily, "but it doesn't take an anthropologist to figure out that he's playing to your weaknesses. You're merchants, not warriors. None of you have ever tried to capture morph-capable creatures so you're all sitting around with your tentacles up your asses, or whatever orifice have you. Now, your weakness just happens to be my strength. So he may be a big, bad captain of a major merchant starship, but he's playing the morphing game now, and I've been playing a lot longer than him."

"$That's optimal when we finally face him in battle, but what about now? He's planning something, and we need to figure out what. What does he want? Where is he keeping the andalites? Why can't we hear any thought-speech cries? Why is he stealing spaceship parts?$" said an officer named Sciv.

"He's asking for a spaceship. He's stealing spaceship parts. Obviously he's building a spaceship." I rationalized.

Sumdac muttered something in Draque best translated as "Fucking retard."

"$You can't build a spaceship unless you have a hull. He couldn't possibly have a hull because we don't make them on the planet surface.$" Dr. Orbin explained gently.

"$Can't disrupt the wildlife canopy.$" said an officer named Egdew.

"$Anything added to the hull would have to be specific to that hull.$" said an officer named Rengaw. "$Stealing all spaceship parts without a hull is just . . . . . idiotic or crazy.$"

"I don't think Gwarver is either idiotic or crazy. At least not that crazy." I said. "Do you agree, Hollin?"

"$Yes. Neither stupid nor crazy.$" Hollin agreed.

"Sumdac?" I asked.

Sumdac's eyes glowed and his tentacles wavered in a manner my translator had a hard time interpreting. "$The alien's right. If Hollin is stealing these parts, he must have a hull in mind.$"

"$How could? How could he have a hull?$" cried Sciv in a frustrated tone.

"Think outside the box here, guys. Maybe he's adapting some other vehicle." I suggested.

"$Yes, like a rail-trucker.$" Sciv said sarcastically which got some laughs from the others.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"$It's a children's story.$" Orbin explained. "$_Drusig's Journey_.$"

"$Once there was a grown point named Drusig who wanted to see the moons, so he built a spaceship out of an old rail-trucker.$" Egdew recited. "$And then he was ripped apart by the vacuum of space. That's not the actual story, but that's what would happen in real life.$"

"$Spaceships must be air-tight. The tiniest nick could kill you. It's not like a leaky float-sail on the ocean.$" Sciv explained.

"$Ocean?$" Chydla repeated. "$Beloqush!$"

"$Hose-pipe! See, I shout random stuff too.$" Sciv joked. "Rithinstufft!"

"$Knock it off, Sciv.$" Hollin commanded. "$What do you mean, Chydla?$"

"$Gwarver mentioned beloqush cleaning.$" Chydla reminded.

"$You mean like for a metal-island?$" Egdew asked.

"$Or a mukommer.$" Hollin said slowly as if this was huge moment of revelation.

I on the other hand was starting to get lost. I had no idea what the hell they were talking about. I mean, what the fuck's a mukommer?

"$Not even a torpis or a rupsa class mukommer is that air-tight.$" Rengaw negated.

"$What about the Deep Force Tablina-class Mukommers?" Chydla asked.

"Could someone explain things to the alien gangster, please?" I asked in frustration. I guess my translator only goes so far.

"$A mukommer is an underwater vehicle. A submersible.$" Chydla explained.

"$Could a Tablina class be used as a hull?$" Egdew asked.

"$He would need some kind engineering genius to figure it out.$" Rengaw started.

"$He has one.$" Hollin said, referring to, I think, Lebla Synda-300. "$Possibly two if our background check on Erko is accurate.$"

"$With the parts he already has and with full ballasts . . . . . $" Rengaw started, "$yeah, it could work. At least for a little while. He could escape Gianna Draquen's gravity without dying, but it couldn't go very far.$"

"It doesn't need to." I brought up. "He only needs to get as far as the Super-Atmo Station. Then he can steal a real ship."

"$All our Tablina-class mukommers were destroyed.$" Sciv said.

"$They were destroyed in an attack by Gwarver and his morphers. I was there.$" Egdew said.

"$Destroying your opponent's resources is a good tactic.$" Sumdac said.

"Stealing it for yourself is a better one." I countered.

Sumdac pointed two of his tentacles at his compound eye, a gesture meaning roughly, 'you got that right.'

"$If Gwarver and his Terrormorphs are hiding in a Tablina-class mukommer, there isn't a vehicle on Gianna Draquen that can find them.$"

"What about an animal?" I asked.

"$I know a few, three-end-wise.$" Sciv said, though I wasn't sure what 'three-end-wise' meant, but I hoped it involved keeping my pants on.

"$The only other problem is the trespassing andalite we've arrested. What part does he play in this?$" Sumdac asked.

"I'll ask him." I confidently said.

"$Okay, people,$" Hollin began to sum up, "$we know our enemies are underwater, and they are attempting to build a spaceship out of a Tablina-class mukommer. Sciv, Rengaw, and Egdew, I want you to figure what more he needs and where he could get them. Orbin, find Farser Rowach-467 and ask him to compile a list of animals that are native to deep water and where Sir David could acquire them. Sumdac and Chydla, you will come with me and Sir David when he attempts to interrogate the andalite prisoner. This meeting is over. You are released to your orders.$"

"Boingy Boingy!" the officers said in unison. I suppressed a laugh.

As the various officers left the room I tried to make my way to Orbin, but Hollin got to me first. He wanted to go interrogate the prisoner, Meklor, right away, but after Chydla informed him that I had only woken up several minutes before the meeting and hadn't been 'regrouped' (which I think is some sort of mistranslation on my part), Hollin and Sumdac agreed to meet up later at six hours past solar zenith. Which means I had 0.2 hours to talk to Orbin, however the hell long that is. Thankfully they agreed that Chydla would 'have the honor' of escorting me (since I also didn't know where the holding cells were.)

I followed Orbin to his lab and I kept getting strange looks from all the dayangs. In his lab, Orbin had his assistant, one I had never met, call Farser as he talked to me. She mentioned something about a delivery as she tried not to look at me. Then her upper body slowly slid back as I walked in front of her, a form of recoil. She left the room and Orbin and I were alone.

_This is what you wanted David. Feared and respected._

Orbin's lab looked a lot like what you'd think a lab would look like. Machines everywhere along the walls with a big empty table right in the middle. Except this table had a large brown box on it, about the size of a suitcase. The delivery Orbin's assistant mentioned I guess.

"$Excellent! It arrived.$" Orbin said inspecting some card that came with the box. "$Primary business action: I must give you your personal effects that we retrieved from the battle site.$"

"$Why is everyone in here looking at me funny?$" I asked.

Orbin paused as his ears (which looked like satellite dishes) began to wiggle. I'd never seen that expression before and my translator offered no explanation.

"$You speak Galard. Speech box?$" Orbin asked. His voice sounded weird, like he couldn't control his pitch.

"$No, I learned. Don't change the subject.$" I demanded.

"$They're kind of afraid of non-controlled humans.$" Orbin admitted. "$The media portrays your species as somewhat volatile in your natural state. The small number of free humans out there . . .$"

"What free humans?" I asked.

"$Some were abducted by Skrit Na, but most of the humans that make reportable news are former host bodies who have overpowered their yeerk parasites.$"

"I've never heard about this."

"$The andalites and the yeeks don't really want the civilized galaxy to know about the Yeerk Empire's victims who free themselves.$"

"Yeerks, I understand, but Andalites . . ?"

"$Well, they can't very be the galactic saviors if the galaxy can save itself.$" Orbin clarified. "$Anyways, most free humans end up living legally and morally questionable lives. Lives that are typically quite short.$"

"Son of a bitch." Was all I could say.

"$All matters, here are the personal effects: three shredder weapons, two dracon beam weapons, a complete set of dracon rifle components, a lockbox, fragments of what appear to be injectors of some sort, and a small, electrical device. Is this all?$"

"$Yes, all of it.$" I said, as I inspected the syringe fragments. One syringe piece was big enough that it held about a dime-size worth of the mysterious brown liquid that was so important to Babylon. "$Thank you for giving my crewmembers the translator implants.$"

"$No effort. I have idle time. I was supposed to be vacationing in Okubanaj. Beautiful beaches there, although Cindre has nice beaches too. Gwarver kind of cancelled my plans.$" Orbin said wearily. "$Why, do you need me to do something?$"

"$I need you to analyze the fluid in these 'injectors'. See if you can arrange for it to be synthesized.$"

"$What is it?$"

"$I honestly don't know, but it's important enough to my Hork-Bajir crewmember that he hid it from me. If it's innocent and important, I don't want him to be without it. If it's not, well we'll see.$"

"$David, is Sir Babylon trustworthy?$"

"$We'll see.$" I repeated as I opened up the lockbox and took out a Protimus-Bots dose. "$I have one other thing. These are called protimus-bots. I weaponized them to disrupt morphing. These will work when I capture the Terrormorphs, but they were designed to liquefy after twelve hours, so it's not a permanent solution. I am hoping you can up with one if I give you this sample. I just need your word you won't sell this. This is kind of like my 'encryption technology'.$"

Dr. Orbin took the vial of protimus-bots and stared at it, completely fascinated. "$For keeping our encryption technology to yourself and for helping stop the Terrormorphs, your secrets will be safe with me.$"

"$Good.$" I said as I gathered my stuff into a Dayang made satchel of some sort. Chydla came into the lab as I was doing that, signifying my need to leave. That's when I noticed that Babylon had appeared behind her.

"$Chydla, Orbin, can you give us some time in private please?$" I asked them. They left and Babylon and I were alone in the lab.

"Is there something you need, Boss?" Babylon asked me.

"What is this?" I asked holding up a piece of the broken syringes.

Babylon's face noticeably went a little slack. "Um . . . medicine."

"For what?"

Babylon's eyes kept darting from the vials to me to the floor and back again. "Allergies." He finally said.

"'Allergies?'" I repeated, not believing a word. "What exactly are you allergic to?"

Babylon stammered, not saying anything.

"I mean, I find it strange that a genetically engineered being would have allergies. I know there were flaws in your design in particular, but allergies?"

Babylon didn't say anything and only looked at the floor, ashamed.

"Don't lie to me, Babylon. It's not your strong point." I said as I walked to him, looked up into his eyes and pushed him toward the wall. "Now tell me what it's for."

Babylon turned his eyes away from me. "I don't want to lie to you, Boss."

"Then tell the truth."

"I can't do that either."

"Why the fuck not?"

Babylon suddenly turned his eyes to me and in an accusing tone, "Am I not entitled to my privacy?"

"Privacy is one thing, Babylon. Secrets are another. I don't like secrets on my ship."

I was worried he was going to say something smartass like 'we're not on your ship,' but instead he said this.

"I may have my secrets, but I am 100 percent loyal to you. Isn't that enough?"

Karmatic bitch-slap number 2.

"It should be, Babylon. It really should be," I admitted, "but it isn't."

I gave Bone the satchel to carry as we left the lab. Orbin rushed back into the lab, muttering something about how good it was to be working. Weirdo.

"$The holding cells are located closer to the other end of the base. We'll be going outside and riding in a mini-craft.$" Chydla explained. "$It's a small, electronic vehicle . . .$"

"I trust you, Chydla." I said, not wanting to hear long explanation on things that aren't important. I started to speak Galard. "$I'm going to morph into a dayang now. We can avoid the weird looks that way.$"

"What about me?" Babylon asked.

"You? You're coming along. You'll just have to tolerate the looks." I said as I started my morph to dayang.

The last time I was with the dayangs, I acquired a frolis composite morph that was parts of Hollin, Orbin, Erko, and Picum. The result was a green-haired, male dayang of a moderately young adult age.

I completed my morph to dayang and spent a few seconds remembering to use all my appendages and get accustomed to the strange sensory input that is the dayang two simple eyes/one compound eye combination. With my morph completed, I could see that Chydla was very pretty, but held her tentacles in unflattering, almost masculine positions.

Chydla escorted Babylon and I through the Cindre base to what was presumably the outside.

((Babylon,)) I privately commanded, ((hand me the Palm Proteus.))

Babylon didn't seem to understand the reason behind my command, but he complied, discreetly handing me the small device.

The real reason I wanted to be in morph was to use thought-speech. I didn't want Babylon or any of the dayangs hearing what I was saying to Ayla. I used one of my tentacles to hold the Palm Proteus.

((Thought-speech mode. Ayla, online.)) I commanded.

A green pulsating light, Ayla's visual representation, appeared on the view screen of the Palm Proteus. ((Connection established.)) Ayla greeted. ((It's about time, David. How's it going?))

((You know, same old, same old.))

((That bad, huh?)) Ayla commented.

((I'd love to rip off _Star Wars_ with you some more, but work before play. First off, Bone tried to acquire DNA from a morph. He did it again not twenty minutes later. I need you to calculate his odds of getting his morphing power back.))

((I'm accessing Andalite war-scientific journals now.)) After a while Ayla returned an answer. ((49 percent.))

((Damn.)) I cursed.

((Well it's almost fifty-fifty.)) Ayla offered. ((The good news is that it's an either/or situation. He'll either get his power back in full or not all. No ancillary anxieties about long-term damage to the morphing technology.))

((Alright, second thing: Babylon brought some very strange syringes with him of brown, frothy liquid. I need to know what they are. Have you observed any suspicious behavior from him?))

((Nothing involving syringes. If he prepared something like that, it was in his quarters where I don't watch.))

((You don't keep surveillance on the living quarters?))

((You told me not to.))

((I just meant mine.)) I grumbled. ((Arg. Okay, third thing: Gwarver was surprised _The David Hunting Show_ didn't reach Gianna Draquen and said he saw it from a copy that was in the possession of the Andalite Ambassador. How did the Andalites see it, and why is Gwarver surprised the dayangs didn't?))

((By broadcasting on the Yeerk-net, we apparently left it opened to be filtered through several intergalactic info-nets which in turn, would trickle through to the planetary info-nets. Depending on the planet, it might have only reached the military nets or it might have permeated to the civilian level.))

((And the Dayangs should have been one of those nets. Why wasn't it?))

((I'm checking. It seems your signal was intercepted by an Andalite base near here and they broke the signal so that it would not be picked up by the planetary Gianna Draquen info-net. Several off-world dayang ships picked it up, but it'll be five months before one of them returns to the planet.))

((Why would the Andalites do that?))

((The Electorate feared the broadcast would alarm the dayangs to the point where they'd give total and exclusive support to the yeerks just to protect themselves from you. They sent a diplomat to try and get them to support the Andalites instead. Hmmmm, that's interesting.))

((What's interesting, Ayla?))

((We got a mole. It seems that one of the ambassador's attendants is an Echelon 3 Intelligence Agent in disguise.))

((Gee, I wonder who.))

We reached the outside, and Chydla led us to a small vehicle that looked a lot like a golf cart. Chydla stood and strapped into the driver's area as I strapped in next to her in the passenger side. Babylon rode on an adjustable seat of some sort in the back.

((Ayla, try to discern the identity of the mole.)) I commanded. ((Alert me when you do.))

((It'll take some time. Andalite databases are hard to get into, even with dayang encryption technology and sophisticated Pemalite computers.))

((Do what you can, Ayla. Signing off.)) I said as I handed the Palm Proteus back to Babylon who put it back in the satchel.

We were still driving to the holding cells so I decided to make small talk with Chydla. Ever since I met her I had noticed how drastically different she was to the other female dayangs I had met. Klika, Lebla, and a female named Andusyl who ate lunch with us when I was on the _Rogin Gavic_, were all very flirtatious and emotional. Chydla was none of these things.

"So what do you think of Farser?" I asked her in my own language.

"$Who? Farser?$" She asked (in Draque). "$Oh, Dr. Klika's nephew. He's a . . . good citizen.$" She talked about him as if he were a child, but she couldn't have been more than a few years older than him. Then again, I'm not entirely sure I can accurately judge ages among dayangs.

"I think he likes you."

"$Why would he dislike me?$" She continued in Draque.

"No, I mean he's attracted to you."

"Nanyo." She said, the draque equivalent to 'oh'. "$Sexually?$"

I laughed. "I'm not sure how much dayangs discern between the sexual and the romantic, but let's just be safe and say any and all of the above."

"$I am . . . . uh, I am not . . . . accessible.$" She stammered.

"I translated that last word as 'accessible'; is that what you said?" I asked with no answer. "Does that mean emotionally or do you lack girl parts?"

Babylon grunted a surprised noise as Chydla stopped the vehicle and faced me. Her face and tentacles gave away no emotion, but her compound eye glowed darker. "$This conversation is perverse!$"

"I'm sorry." I quickly said. "I'm an alien. I didn't realize." Which isn't entirely true, but I was curious if I could get away with that excuse. I heard Babylon groaning in the back, so he didn't seem to buy my answer.

But Chydla did and started the vehicle up again. "$Tapers have a wider shift of hormones than points. We are just as encouraged to join the worker-solider force as our male counterparts. We have a biological advantage to them as we are naturally harder workers and have better combat instincts and quicker reflexes, but our shifting hormones puts us at a natural disadvantage for leadership. Rarely is there a female worker-soldier with a rank higher than Unit Manager.$"

"Aren't you a Third Officer?"

"$That is considered an amazing feat not only for my gender, but my age as well. I'm actually the same age as the Terrormorphs Erko and Picum, if that gives you a good indicator. I was only able to do so by learning to control my hormones and thinking with my mind. As the dayang proverb goes 'the mesta gland is only in your back, while the brain runs through the whole body.'$"

"Ok." I replied. I noticed Babylon looking at Chydla strangely. I don't think he knew about that particular oddity of dayang anatomy.

"$The point being, is that I have spent much effort to have the Trader Federation think of me as worker-solider not a _female_ worker-soldier. I cannot afford to indulge in mate-searching. The temptation is too great.$" Chydla concluded as she stopped the vehicle in front of a building. Her tentacles twisted in a gesture of discomfort. "$This was purely a scientific query, right? This is not data you are going to confer with others, yes?$"

"Your secret's safe with me, Chydla." I said warmly.

"Me too." Babylon added.

She relaxed a little bit. "$We are here, Sir David.$" she said as we unstrapped ourselves and walked toward the entrance to the building. Once we were inside, I demorphed.

Inside the building, it was cold and dank. At lot like a prison which is what it was. Chydla brought me to a room with a device I recognized as a Ramonite Box. Hollin, Sumdac, and four other dayangs were there. They were armed, so I figured they were guards. They all had black hair, which I found funny.

"$His name is Meklor-Spager-Fandeleon and he's a diplomatic servant.$" Hollin briefed me as I approached the Box. "$That's all he'll say. Now, as a rule, the Analite Electorate forbid diplomats from having the morphing power, but we didn't take any chances.$"

"$Good choice$." I said as I stood in front of the box. The box was silver like all Ramonite devices. It hovered in the air by ways I didn't immediately figure out. The four guards tightened their grip on their weapons.

"$Transparent.$" Hollin commanded.

The box became transparent and we all expected to see an andalite, but the box appeared empty.

"$What? He's escaped. Open the box, find out what happened.$"

"DO NOT OPEN THE BOX!!!!" I shouted quickly, I repeated it in Galard to make sure they understood me. "$Do not open the box!$"

I morphed into a Golden Eagle and fluttered to the top of the box. I looked into the box with eyes designed for looking through transparent material. With the Eagle's amazing vision I saw a very tiny bug.

Diplomats may be forbidden to have morphing power, but intelligence officers are encouraged to use it.

((You may fool these dayangs, but you do not fool me, warrior.)) I said to the bug. ((I'm going to make the box go opaque so you can preserve your delicate modesty, but in five minutes, I want to see four eyes, four hooves, fourteen fingers, and a bladed tail. Ok? Good.))

"$Opaque.$" Hollin commanded at my prompt.

I fluttered next to Hollin and demorphed.

"$The prisoner is morph-capable.$" Babylon said in Galard. I guess the transplant didn't change much.

"$I cannot believe the Andalite diplomacy would send morphers on a diplomatic mission.$" Hollin seethed.

"$I don't think the diplomacy knew about it.$" I said as I motioned for Babylon to hand me the Palm Proteus. I had Ayla show me the records on Andalite diplomatic personnel. "$I'm using my sentient computer program named Ayla to search through Andalite records. The Diplomacy believes they sent a young andalite named Meklor-Spager-Fandeleon on this mission, but the mysterious Sir Meklor has no other records. He isn't a real person.$"

"$Then who is he?$" Hollin asked. "$Is he working with Gwarver?$"

"$Gwarver introduced Lebla as the one who got the blue box from the Andalite Spy.$" Babylon remembered.

"$Does that mean stolen or received?$" Hollin asked.

"$I believe Meklor is a member of Andalite Intelligence. He isn't Apex level, but he isn't a rookie either. It wouldn't make sense for an Intelligence member to give the morphing power to any aliens, let alone criminals.$" I said.

"$What is his purpose here?$" Hollin asked.

"$Ayla is trying to find out his real name and mission, but our distance from the Andalite Home World and their level of security is retarding the process.$"

((Excuse me? Andalite Warrior?)) said a soft Andalite thought-speak voice. ((I have fully demorphed and wish to make recompense for my transgressions to the Diplomacy.))

"How well spoken and polite he is." Babylon commented in English.

"$Who is he really?$" I asked.

"$Let's just ask him.$" Babylon muttered.

"$Transparent.$" Hollin ordered. The box became transparent, revealing an adult, blue-haired, male Andalite. He had soft features in his face. In fact he looked a bit feminine. If it wasn't for his tail blade, I might mistake him for a female. He saw me and recoiled.

((David Hunting!)) cried a different thought-speech voice than before. This one was harsher.

"I've been recognized." I said in English. I figured I sounded more menacing when I wasn't trying to remember the correct way to speak a language I just learned a few months ago. "What's wrong with your thought-speech, Meklor? Did you eat some bad grass?"

((You! You are the monster we were sent to protect these people from!)) 'Meklor' said in the soft thought-speech voice we heard earlier. ((The Dayangs are a noble and hard-working race. They don't deserve to be terrorized by you, Human!))

"I did not come to terrorize them. The only thing terrorizing them is the mess _you_ helped create. And please, the Andalite Electorate doesn't have any concern for the dayangs. You came to use me as a leverage point in hopes to get the Dayangs to totally support you as opposed to the Yeerks. At least, that is why the ambassador is here. Why are _you_ here, spy?"

((I'm no spy. I am a diplomatic servant. My name is Meklor-Spager-Fandeleon.)) 'Meklor' meekly retorted.

Ayla beeped to let me know that she's ascertained Meklor's real name. I looked at the Palm Proteus as I spoke to the spy.

"We both know that isn't true. Is it, _Hanerr_?" I sneered his true name and the spy recoiled again. "That is your name, right? Echelon 3 Agent Hanerr-Manoz-Garfonil."

'Meklor' then started to change. Morphing? No . . . . I realized. He was _demorphing_.

The young adult andalite shifted into a slightly larger and a definitely more masculine andalite. I couldn't read Andalite ages well either, but I was pretty sure he was younger than Alloran and close to whatever age young 'Meklor' was supposed be.

((I don't know how you could have possibly found that information, but this only further proves that you are more dangerous than even we originally contemplated.)) said Hanerr. His thought-speak voice sounded identically to the harsh one we heard earlier. ((Whatever you are planning for the dayang people, we will stop you.))

"And you're supposed to be an intelligence officer. Captain Hollin Stershin-198 is my friend. I would never hurt him or his people." I smugly said.

((Does your friend know what you did to Visser Three?))

"$What's he talking about, David?$" Hollin asked.

"$_Sir_ David.$" Babylon corrected in Galard.

"Hush, Babylon." I lightly chided as I tried to ignore the flattered feeling I got as Babylon insisted upon my title. Of course, he could have just been kissing my ass for lying to me. "The dangerous individual you told me about that the Ambassador spoke of? The one who conquered Andalite warriors, captured a Yeerk councilor, and tortured a yeerk visser."

"$Yes . . . $" Hollin said, anticipating what I was going to say next.

"That was me." I said.

Hollin didn't react much, but I could tell he wasn't surprised. The only thing I could pick up was . . . disappointment. And a little relief.

Sumdac on the other hand was cursing up a storm in Draque. He had the good sense to keep it mostly to himself.

((So, I guess _I _would not be here if it were it not for _you_. Yes, _Sir_ David?)) Hanerr taunted. ((Whatever you claim I helped create, you must also blame on yourself.))

"I already do, Andalite. Why do you think I'm here? The difference between you and me is that I didn't do it on purpose."

((You think I did? You think I would break the law of Seerow's Kindness like your foolish aristh friend Aximili? That blasted female stole the Escafil device from me.))

"$How did that robotics lab assistant steal the device from you, spy?$" Hollin interrupted.

Hanerr didn't answer at first. ((I infiltrated her house to acquire a piece of her DNA. I was in the process of making a frolis composite dayang morph. Dayang consensus seems to find Lebla attractive, and infiltration is easier if you have an attractive body.))

"$Something Lebla swatted back at you, I gather.$" Sumdac chuckled.

Hanerr narrowed his main eyes in annoyance. ((Yes)) He admitted. ((I went to acquire her while she slept, but in my attempt, I woke her up. She was about to scream, so I made her promise to keep quiet if I showed her I wasn't a threat to her. She said she wanted to see some alien things. She said she was a former resident of some religious, backwater part of this planet and she's never seen aliens. She looked and acted so meek and childish. How was I supposed to know she was actually a scientist and a whore? I brought her and her pet crawbull to my quarters at the Imperial Castle.))

"So you brought the girl and an alien animal to your room? What kind of idiot are you?"

((She knew I wasn't Meklor; I had to protect my cover. I figured her insistence that she bring her pet was some childish attachment. I didn't realize she would know how to use the escafil device or even know what it was. She gave herself the power and she acquired and morphed me.))

"She hit you with your own tailblade, didn't she?" I asked.

Hanerr again did an andalite equivalent of a sneer with his eyes. ((She then acquired and morphed her pet. The two of them carried the box easily and I followed them, but then I was arrested.))

"$We found no crawbulls matching his description.$" Hollin added. "$But we did find a crawbull named Shuga registered to Lebla at an abandoned fuel station the Terrormorphs used to use as a base.$"

"Well, you fucked up, Hanerr. Your ambassador and fellow attendant are now prisoners of six morph-capable Dayangs who have chosen to use the technology for their own gain. If they get their way, they'll be a scourge on the known galaxy just as the yeerks are."

((And you.)) Hanerr adds.

"Don't lump me with them, fool. Because of you, this planet is under martial law. The health of my Hork-Bajir servant is in some kind of peril. I was nearly stabbed to death, and my other servant may never morph again!"

"'Ain't nothing gonna break my stride/ Nobody gonna slow me down/ Oh no. I gotta keep on movin''" sang a voice I recognized from outside the room. Bone's human morph.

Despite how hardcore I was trying to appear to Hanerr, I smiled and sighed a wonderful sigh of relief. Bone still had his powers. I knew it would have crushed him not being able to morph. And I was glad to hear him sing again. Even if it was a cheesy, horrible '80s song.

Bone in human morph burst into the room, still singing, "'Ain't nothing gonna break-a my stride/ I'm running and I won't touch ground/ Oh no. (Oh No) I gotta keep on moving.'"

"Okay, never mind that last part." I admitted to Hanerr.

Bone strutted up to us like he was auditioning for _MTV: The Grind_ and stood next to me. "'We won't stop/Cause we can't stop.' Oh look!" He said. "An Andalite in a box."

((Your servant is another human?)) Hanerr accused.

((Not quite.)) Bone said in thought-speech as he made a fish-face with his human face.

Hanerr was taken aback by the thought-speech as Bone demorphed into his own cape buffalo body. After that, just to prove that the buffalo was his real body, he remorphed into a Hork-Bajir (Laet).

"Boogedy-Boogedy-Boo!" Bone shouted at Hanerr with Laet's voice as he made 'scary' hand movements.

((Felled Trees, what have you done, Hunting?)) Hanerr demanded.

"Sir David." Babylon corrected.

"I have come here to stop what you caused." I said by way of answer, but not really answering his question. "Your foolishness caused this problem. Now, I will fix it."

((The dayang bandits are my responsibility. I will handle it.)) Hanerr insisted.

I noticed Bone started to demorph back to his buffalo body.

"Don't worry, Hanerr. I can handle morph-capable warriors." I said.

((That is what I am afraid of.)) Hanerr muttered. ((It is andalite lives and andalite technology held captive. Excuse me if I do not trust a known terrorist to rescue _my_ people.))

"Well, I had to be told secondhand by Aristh Aximili that the last Andalite Intelligence Agent I met tried to eliminate my species with a quantum virus. So you'll excuse _me_ if I can't trust _you_, Agent."

((I know nothing of that, but I do know I will find a way out of this box and find you. I _will_ outsmart these Dayangs. Then I'll come after you.))

((Hey, Hey, Hey!)) Bone said, sounding a little like Fat Albert. ((Can't we all just get along?))

"What?" I asked him.

Bone began to morph. I wasn't sure what. (('If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'))

"Team-up?" I said.

((A partnership?)) Hanerr reiterated questioningly.

Bone was in mid-morph. I realized he was morphing the mini-Buffa-Titan, Toadie. ((What could it hurt?)) Bone asked.

((That could work,)) Hanerr started, ((if you and your allies submit to me as Prince.))

Babylon gave me a sideways glance and then gave Hanerr a very human-looking expression which could best be translated as "Bitch, please."

"I don't think so. We've already established we don't trust each other, but the Dayangs trust me. So if you want come along, it'll be on _my_ terms. Liars make me nervous." I said as I glanced at Babylon.

Babylon looked at the ground in shame as he thought my comment was directed at him. I looked at the bag and then at him, and he was confused.

((Give him the Protimus-bots, dummy!)) Bone yelled privately at Babylon, realizing what I was planning.

Babylon shot Bone a look of annoyance and then gave me the lockbox. I unlocked it and pulled out one of nine syringes.

Hanerr saw the syringe. ((Is that what I think it is?))

"Well that depends; what do you think it is?" I answered snidely as I motioned to Hollin.

"$Arrest-tactic. Surround the cage. Side-arms calibrate to stun level.$" Hollin commanded as the four guards did as Hollin said. They surrounded the cage at each corner. "$Drop him.$"

The bottom of the cage disappeared and Hollin fell to the floor. The Dayangs advanced toward him, but Hanerr whipped his tail around and hit three of the guards with the flat of his blade, knocking them out. Sumdac and Chydla pulled out their guns, but Hollin kept them from firing.

"$He's resisting, Sir. Should I fire?$" asked the remaining gaurd as he slid the top of his body all the way back.

"No, I'll get him." Bone muttered in the low voice of his Mini-buffa-titan morph.

((Stay back, freak!)) Hanerr warned.

"'Wanna bumble with the bee, huh?'" Bone taunted, quoting what think was Lil' Kim.

Hanerr and Bone stared each other down. In a blur of motion, Hanerr struck. Before I could even yell a warning, the flat of Hanerr's tail blade came down on Bone's skull.

Of course, there's a reason Melissa named him Bonehead.

Bone didn't so much as flinch as the blade hit him. Hanerr on the other hand limply retracted his tail in obvious pain.

"If I wanted a kiss, I'd have called your mother." Bone continued to taunt.

((Insolent monster.)) Hanerr muttered. Suddenly, Hanerr struck again. This time he was going to give Bone the pointy end.

"BONE, watch out!" I yelled, but my warning was unnecessary. As fast as Hanerr swung his tail, Bone reacted. Bone caught Hanerr's tail right under the blade before it could reach its target.

"Denied! 'U can't touch this! Duh-nuh-nuh-nuh, Nuh Nuh Nuh-nuh.'" Bone said. Hanerr tried to pull his tail back, but Bone kept a death grip on it. "I offer friendship and partnership and what do you do? You try to take over." Bone grabbed Hanerr's tail with his other hand.

"That's just not nice." Bone continued as his massive humanoid hands squeezed Hanerr's tail. The pain must have been excruciating as Hanerr immediately fell to his deer-like knees. "Then we tell you that if you're a good boy and take your medicine you can come, but nooOOOOoooooo. You have to act like some two-years-old boy and throw a temper tantrum."

((I will not let your terrorist master control me!)) Hanerr vowed.

"It's that or the box." Bone bellowed.

((I think I know another way.)) Hanerr said.

"He's morphing!" Babylon yelled. Sure enough, Hanerr's legs were starting to turn black and his fur was starting to meld into something orange.

"I think you're crusin' for a brusin'." Bone taunted.

Then quite suddenly, Bone pulled on Hanerr's tail and started swinging him like he was a doll.

((AAAAAAAH! PUT ME DOWN!))

The three unconscious dayangs woke up to see a human-shaped buffalo swinging an andalite by its tail. Babylon, the dayangs, and I backed away from Bone and his spinning opponent. I didn't realize he was that strong.

Naturally, Bone was singing. "'You spin right round, baby right round/Like a record baby, right round round round.'"

"That's enough, Bone!" I told him. "Let him go."

"Please put your tray tables up and your seatbacks in full upright and locked position. We are coming in for a landing!" Bone said as he let go of Hanerr's tail and sent him flying into a wall.

When people hit walls, they don't stay there and slide down like in the cartoons. Hanerr hit that wall and immediately bounced off onto the floor where he slid a few inches, before stopping. His tail looked dislocated and started twitching. Hanerr's stalk eyes were closed, and the stalks were twitching. His main eyes were open but not focusing.

We approached Hanerr. I still had the syringe of protimus bots.

"$A dracon beam would have been just as effective.$" Chydla mentioned.

"But not nearly as fun!" Bone growled playfully.

"You're starting to scare me, Bone." Babylon muttered.

"Oh, Hanerr?" I teasingly prompted the abused andalite.

((I do not wish to board that oversized metal box, Mother!)) Hanerr said. ((I want to gather the flowers with you.))

"Oh yeah. He's gone." Bone said as he rubbed the arm he used to spin Hanerr around.

"Now, now, Hanerr. You wanted to help beat the Terrormorphs? Then you can help, but you lied to us. So I'm going to have put you on probation until you learn how to play nice with others." I said as I stuck the needle into his neck.

((Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooow!)) Hanerr lazily protested.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Babylon asked Bone who was still rubbing his arm.

"Dude was a little heavier than I thought." Bone admitted. ((Friggin 'Ow!'))

Before I could wonder where Bone learned the words 'dude' and 'friggin', I activated the protimus bots in Hanerr. I reversed his partial morph and trapped him in the form of a djabala.

((Huh? What? Why am I in djabala morph? I have not morphed this since my proficiency test.)) Hanerr said as the morph completed and his head was clear. ((No. Hunting, you monster, you've trapped me.))

"Relax, Hanerr. Once my computer has extrapolated your other morphs, I'll turn you into something more useful. The bots only last twelve hours so if you behave yourself, maybe I won't have to waste another dose on you."

((You are just as bad as a yeerk.))

"What's so bad about the yeerks, anyway? It's not their fault they're parasites." I said as Ayla informed me that extrapolation was finished. Babylon gave me a surprised look for my comment on the yeerks. "Let's see, thirteen morphs and a morph that's seventy-five percent done. That must be your unfinished Dayang composite. Of the thirteen morphs, seven of them are andalites. The other six, animals from across the galaxy, although at least one is from your home planet."

The extrapolation program Ayla designed was able to give crude renderings of the creatures based on their DNA. Besides the djabala, the other five morphs included a long red snake, a mostly furless thing with stalk eyes and antlers, a green snake with a dinosaur-ish head and seal flippers, the small bug we saw earlier, and some furry fuzzball thing with stubby arms and legs and six or eight bat-like wings.

I thought about asking Ayla to identify them, but I figured I was gonna see Farser soon anyway. Asking him would be easier than sending Ayla to the apparent pain in the metaphorical ass that is the Andalite info-cortex.

((What are you going to do with me?)) Hanerr asked.

I looked at the lackadaisical djabala that lay a few feet away. "We have a battle to prepare for. If you want to help, you'll learn to follow my lead. Or we can drag you, kicking and screaming. Either way, I'm not letting you out of my sight. So, Hanerr, are you going to behave yourself or does Bone have to carry you?"

((Both. This morph walks too damn slow.)) Hanerr muttered as Bone picked him up with his mini-buffa-titan arms. ((This is so undignified.))


	66. Galaxy Tour VI: The Oscillating Tanab

**Day 8 – Dusk**

I was sitting in another alien vehicle. It was some cross between an army personnel truck and a limo. It hovered and had windows that were tinted on the outside to keep others from looking in and seeing the weird alien creatures.

I looked out the window and up at the sky. The red sun of Gianna Draquen was setting, turning the sky a strange yellow-green color. The canopy of animals flying a thousand feet up did not dissipate. I had no idea if the same animals were flying above or if this was the night shift. I suddenly felt like I wish I had more time to visit. To explore this planet. But then what would be the point? It isn't home. My departure isn't indeterminate. It's not exactly essential to my mission.

Oddly enough, being here on Gianna Draquen, being saturated by her strangeness, reminded me of the many times I was forced to reset my bearings whenever my father moved us to a new place. I never admitted it to myself, but the one thing I did enjoy about the constant moving was the chance to explore new scenery. Often though, I'd be disappointed by what I'd find. Seattle, Washington wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be. San Francisco stopped looking cool after the earthquake killed my dog. And don't even get me started on Crystal Clear Waters, North Dakota.

I lived in a small city in Utah once that was all right. Peach Haven was nice too, but Peach Haven was special. I saw more of Peach Haven than I did of most of the other cities I lived in put together, but that mostly because of Stephanie. She took me to a lot of cool places in Georgia which in retrospect weren't really that amazing. I guess it just seemed cooler because I had someone to share it with.

I looked out the window of the vehicle into Gianna Draquen's sky over Cindre cityscape. Who would I share this with?

Not that I lack for company here. My new crewmembers, Bone and Babylon, were here with me in this large vehicle. Also here was an andalite spy named Hanerr, who I've temporarily trapped in djabala morph. And about six dayang officers, including Captain Hollin, the charming Chydla, and the not-so-charming Sumdac.

We were on our way to a 'Beast-House' which I guess is like a zoo. We were meeting Farser, a xenobiologist who was going to help Bone and I pick new morphs.

On the way, Hollin showed us pictures of the animals seen in the Terrormorphs attacks and who they knew or believed to be the one morphing the creature. Bone, Babylon, and I familiarized ourselves with these morphs, so we could identify them. I supposed Hanerr was too, but like a spy, he was being covert about it.

We arrived in front of the Beast-House where Farser was waiting for us. Instead of us all piling out, Farser climbed in. He looked at myself and Babylon in our own bodies and at Hanerr and Bone in their djabala and mini-buffa-titan morphs, respectively and muttered, "$How beastly the Kabbanodg!$"

Long story short, that dayang expression means 'They're creatures from another land!'.

"$The Beast-House is still open to the public,$" Farser explained, "$at this hour, and due to the domestic climate being what it is . . . we'll, um, need Sir David and the other aliens to be less . . . . . foreign-looking.$" Farser babbled.

((Huh?)) Bone asked.

Farser collected his tongue better. "$My professional credentials will garner us access to the concealed locations where you'll be able to acquire the animals of your choosing, but to do that, we'll have to walk amongst the general population. You'll need to appear as Dayangs. Or a crawbull or a chimtal, and on and on. This Beast-House allows pets.$"

"$I have a Dayang morph$" I said in Galard.

((I don't.)) Bone said.

"And I cannot morph." Babylon said in English. "Looks like I'll be waiting in the car."

((What about me?)) Hanerr asked.

I didn't want to leave him here with just Babylon and the dayangs. "I'm going to keep my eyes on you personally, Hanerr," I said in English, "but you can't go as you are." I motioned for Babylon to give me the Palm Proteus and he did. I showed Farser the extrapolated renderings of Hanerr's morphs and asked him if any of them were from this planet.

"$This small, rotund thing with the wings,$" Farser said pointing to the furry creature with the many bat-wings with his upper left tentacle, "$is a goomla from Ondar. The others are all Andalite Home World animals. Nothing from Gianna Draquen.$"

"Then I guess it's dayang time for you too, Hanerr." I said. I whispered something to Bone and he repeated in private thought-speech to everyone in the car except Hanerr.

"I'm going to force a demorph. You will then acquire the necessary genetic material you need to complete your frolis composite from one of the dayangs officers here. I will then trap you in that morph." I said to Hanerr as several of the Dayang officers leveled weapons at him. "If you do anything else, you'll be blasted into Andalite goo."

((Spare me your human theatrics, Hunting. I understand that you're in control.)) Hanerr muttered with annoyance in his thought-speech.

"Good." I said as I activated his demorph.

Hanerr awkwardly shifted from djabala to Andalite. As soon as Hanerr was fully demorphed, Sciv, who was behind him, grabbed his tail with his main arms directly below the blade. "$You'll acquire me, 'Badontrigerga'.$"

The word for spy in Draque is badontri and the word for alien is trigerga, so I guess Sciv was being clever.

Hanerr didn't twitch, but gave him a look with both his stalk eyes. Hanerr acquired Sciv and I watched on the Palm Proteus as an incomplete DNA sequence became a graphic rendering. It was kinda cool, but I had too much work to do to focus on that. I activated Hanerr's new Dayang morph and he awkwardly morphed it for the first time.

His morph was a male with green hair like mine and, in the close quarters of the vehicle, I couldn't tell much else about it.

((My turn!)) Bone said as he began to demorph to his own body. As he did, his musky, buffalo odor dominated the relatively small area of the vehicle we were in. Babylon and I were used to it, but the dayangs weren't. Most of the dayangs covered their muzzles from the smell, but Farser, Sumdac, and Chydla didn't seem to mind. Either way, Bone's own form took up most of the space in the cabin of the vehicle.

"Who are you going to morph, Bone?" I asked.

((Actually, I figured I'd try one of those frolis things.)) Bone replied.

"Ok, but remember, Dayangs are sentient . . ." I started.

((I know. I know.)) Bone quickly said like a child. He moved as much as he could in the small area so that he was now facing Farser. ((Farser, may I have some of your DNA?)) Bone asked in a tone of voice like he was asking a parent if his friend could come out and play.

"$I-I-I suppose so.$" Farser stammered. "$Do I touch you?$"

((Or I can headbutt you. Your choice.))

Farser opted against the headbutting and tentatively placed his main left hand on Bone's forehead. His tentacles went slightly limp as he went into the acquisition trance. Farser snapped out and let go of Bone. Bone than scootted over so that he was facing Chydla.

((Chydla, may have some of your DNA?))

"$Um, you may, Sir Bonehead.$" She said as she placed two hands on either side of Bone's head.

As soon as Bone was done acquiring part of Chydla's DNA, he began to morph immediately. His morph was male with brown hair.

Not wanting to feel left out, I began my morph to Dayang as I gave Babylon the Palm Proteus. As soon as I was done. Farser opened the door of the vehicle and all of us except Babylon and Rengaw, a Dayang officer, exited. We were all Dayangs, either morphed or naturally.

Outside the vehicle, I could see that Hanerr's morph was taller than mine, but not as broad. Neither of us were taller or broader than Hollin.

Bone's morph was my height and despite having acquired from a wimpy-looking male and femine-looking female, he also was quite broad. He had Chydla's brown hair, but his facial features were nearly identical to Farser.

Bone checked out his reflection in the surface of the vehicle. With his dayang mouth, he spoke in English, "Wow. Farser and Chydla together make a good-looking guy."

Chydla tried to remain stone-faced (or stiff-tentacled as a Dayang may say) at this comment, but her compound eye gave away that she felt like hiding in the nearest hole in the ground.

"Terg . . . chulamog . . zo-bo" Farser said, which my translator failed to translate meaning it probably meant nothing. Farser then began to emit a laughing sound that my implant interpreted as either fake or nervous. "$How quaint.$" he finally spat out.

Egdew began to sing a song I learned later was a folksong about traveling musicians who helped strangers fall in love. Sciv started to emit a sound like puppy barking, real laughter, I realized. The two of them were rewarded for their cleverness by a look from Chydla (a look not unlike the ones Rachel used to give me when I picked on her.)

Sumdac went to the front of vehicle to say something to the drivers as Hollin commanded Chydla, Egdew, and Sciv to wait in the vehicle, watch Babylon, and to listen for any news on Gwarver.

While I still hadn't learned to trust Babylon completely, especially given his mysterious need for some brown liquid, I sort of disliked the fact that Hollin thought he should be watched. I let it go.

Farser led Hollin, Sumdac, Bone, Hanerr, and myself into the Beast-House and we made our way to what looked like an aquarium. Strange alien creatures swam around inside green water as we passed their tanks. We entered another aquarium room, this one with such low-lighting it was almost pitch black. The tank windows had large flat monitors afixed to them that showed the creatures swimming around, but everything was tinted red. It was as if we were looking through the eyes of the Terminator.

"$Some of the animals of the lower depths are very sensative to light,$" Farser explained, "$so we keep them in the near complete darkness that they're used to with pressure modulators to simulate the water pressure of the depths. We see them through the special infared wave-locating lenses. Any of these animals can go down to the same depths as a tablina-class mukommer and about half of them are native to the nearby Wongchu Bay and the N'obu Ocean beyond it, where I'm told you think Gwarver may be hiding.$"

"$Anything here travel in groups?$" I asked.

"$Most of the marine life at that depth are solitary or in mating pairs. The only groups are mothers with hatchlings, and we have none of those.$" Farser informed. "$If I may be so bold, Sir David, may I suggest the Artirys.$"

Farser directed me to a window that was two tanks away from where I was. Through the red-tinted window I saw a strange creature. It had a familiar-looking fish head with a compound eye in the forehead. I think I could see sharp teeth in its mouth. It had two spindly arms with giant sycthe like blades on either side of its body, and instead of a fish tail, it had six octopus-like tentacles.

"$Now watch this.$" Farser said as he went over to some console on the wall. He spoke into it like an intercom. "$Okay, Dreen, drop them.$"

Two long and fat tube-like creatures swam down in front of the artirys. In a very quick motion, the artirys opened its mouth and its two largest fangs flew out of its mouth on tethers, each one hitting one of the tube creatures. The creatures writhed.

"What's going on?" Bone asked in English with a dayang mouth.

"$The artirys is draining the dulgas of electrolytes. Very painful.$" Farser explained again. "$I very much doubt any of Gwarver's crew has a morph like this. It'll be very useful in a fight against . . . I understand that the Terrormorphs are using teema xegapmar morphs.$" 'Teema' translates to 'aquatic'.

"$Yes and a sea xegapmar cannot defeat an artirys.$" Hollin commented.

"I wanna morph that!" Bone said.

I looked at Bone. He was getting used to his new dayang morph, but he was having a bit too much fun sliding his top half along his bottom half. He looked like a child.

The idea of sending Bone into battle still made me nervous.

((Not this time, Bone.)) I said in thought-speech, hoping to keep the conversation just between me and him.

"Why not?" Bone asked aloud, sliding his upper body all the way back.

I didn't answer him and instead turned to Farser. "$Do you have any creatures native to . . . wherever we're going that has like armor or some other defense?$"

((Armor? Defense?)) Bone repeated. "Why can't I morph the electro-sucker?"

"Bone," I said in English, trying to make my Dayang voice sound authoritative, "I am the Boss. You'll do as I say."

"Does the Animorph Boss always pick what morphs everyone does, or can I pick my own?"

Great. Bone was repeating with me _another_ argument I had with Jake. Considering what a self-righteous dick I was being at that time, I decided not to give into Bone. Still, compromise . . . .

"One day, when you've shown me you're ready, I'll let you pick your morphs. Till then, you'll do as I sa--, ask." I commanded. "And stop calling us Animorphs. We're separate from them."

((Ah, hyena turds!)) Bone said in a resigning tone.

"$Sir David, naturally armored sea creatures can't live in the dark depths. The water pressure would cause their exoskeletons to collapse in on them.$" Farser said softly, as if he thought I would get angry at him. Then, Farser's two upper tentacles touched the brow above his compound eye, a gesture of sudden insight. "$But maybe an _artificially_ armored sea creature.$"

"$Are you talking about an ikdi sermolspra?$" Hollin asked.

The best translation my implant supplied for 'sermolspra' was 'squatting' in the sense that homeless people living in an abandoned building are squatters.

"$Ikdis aren't found in the dark depths. They live closer to the coast.$" Sumdac said.

"$Seven and a half months out of the year, that's true, but the other two and half months, they're in hibernation.$" Farser said. "$They crawl into a seashell, they hibernate, and they emerge and swim with the shell. With ocean currents and other factors, a seashell can move a lot in two and a half months. It is not totally uncommon for ikdi sermolspras to emerge from hibernation in the dark depths, and they're fine.$"

Farser began to lead us out of the dark aquarium room.

Hanerr, who was unsettlingly quiet, finally spoke. "$Do I get to pick a morph?$" He asked in Galard.

((No.)) I answered him curtly. I then turned to Farser and spoke in Galard. "$If this ikdicer or whatever doesn't live in the depths, then won't Gwarver and his crew figure out that it's Bone in morph?$"

"I'm morphing the ikdi thing?" Bone asked indignantly.

"$It's called an ikdi,$" Farser corrected me, "$and the species group of ikdis aren't exactly standard curriculum in final stage basic education, especially those going into the merchant-military. Most likely, they'll just assume that they're like the larger species of ikdis that live in the dark depths.$"

"$I knew they didn't live in the depths.$" Sumdac brought up.

"$That's probably because you went to Surf Point Camp when you were younger.$"

"$WHO TOLD YOU THAT?$" Sumdac asked very loudly in surprised tone.

"$Uh . . . um . . . my aunt. She talks. A lot.$" Farser stammered.

That's when I realized. "$Sumdac . . . you and Klika . . . . used to . . .?$" I asked trying as many Dayang euphemistic gestures as I knew (which weren't a whole lot).

Sumdac's expression went from a surprise panic to a cold calm. "$I couldn't even begin to explain such things to an alien.$" Sumdac said very calmly.

Hollin sidled up next to me and whispered in my ear, "$I never understood it either.$"

Farser reached a tank window. "$Here are the ikdi sermolspras.$"

Inside the tank were about eight or nine creatures that could fit in the palm of my human hand (which is actually smaller than my current dayang hand). The creatures were mostly inside shells that looked very similar to one another. Most of them were orange with green spots. One or two had red shells, and I saw one with a yellow shell with a giant green blotch on it. The shells had two openings, one small opening for the ikdi's head and neck, and a larger opening for its lower body to billow out.

I say billow, because that's what it's like. Four relatively large manta-ray-ish fins of red-orange flesh stretch from the bottom opening of the shell along with a pointy tail, also very manta-ray-ish. At the top opening, out came little bulbous red-orange heads on slender little necks. The heads seemed to smile as few ikdis swam up to the glass and looked at us with two iris-ed eyes and one completely black iris-less eye. The heads also had two little bumps at the top. They were cute creatures, but I wasn't sure how safe Bone would be as one of them.

"$What's this one ikdi off by itself?$" Sumdac asked about an ikdi with a white shell that was in its own tank.

"$Oh! Of course!$" Farser said. "Bu-Nanners!"

'Bu-nanners' translates as 'snowflake'.

((Huh?)) I asked.

"$Bu-Nanners is an ikdi sermolspra goonma.$" Farser said. "$She's on loan from a Beast-House on the other end.$"

'Goonma' translates to 'polar'.

"$These ikdis have a special defense. They can make the water around them colder.$" Farser continued. "$That's enough to scare away the sensitive creatures of the dark depths, but I don't know how effective it will be against morphers. The ikdi goonma is still the better choice.$"

"$It's exotic. Exotic is bad for camouflage.$" I pointed out.

"$Without the shell, no one can tell the difference between a common ikdi sermolspra and a polar one (besides me, but I know what to look for). Polars are mostly found in white shells or white shells with black swirls, the kind you find up there amongst the ice. If Sir Bonehead were to morph the polar and use a local shell, the terrormorphs could never tell the difference.$"

"$We'll need a shell then.$" I said.

"$They sell them at the gift shop.$" Sumdac said as he made his way there.

"$So, the artirys and the ikdi sermolspra goonma. We can now go to the back for you to acquire them.$" Farser said.

"$Wait. We need flying creatures.$" I said.

"$Oh, well, follow me.$" Farser said.

He led us to some kind of collection of large cages. Sumdac rejoined us with a shell for Bone's future morph, a common orange one with green spots.

"$Nothing exotic. Fast would be nice. If it can fight, that's good too. Nothing too big, nothing larger than half a dayang.$" I gave as specifications. "$If it can be helped, something that flies both at night and during the day.$"

Farser did a few strange thinking gestures as I listed my wants when suddenly he stopped and did his sudden insight gesture again. "$There's always the trontannas.$"

"$Don't they sleep at night?$" Hollin asked.

"$Not if they're hungry. And the only ones that go hungry are the green, aggressive ones. The aggressive ones that can fight, also per Sir David's request. They're long, but not big. They're pretty ubiquitous, especially in the cities. They may seem out of place over the water though.$" Farser explained. "$They feed on fruit, nuts, and seeds, but they also prey on chiptdul bugs.$"

"$That's great.$" I said insincerely. "$Where are they?$"

"$They're right here.$" Hanerr said standing in front of one of the cages, pointing to a sign on the cage. ((Can't read Draque?))

((No. What of it?)) I said as I walked toward him, pushing him lightly in the process.

I looked into the trontannas cage and saw what looked like small diplodocuses with dragonfly wings on their backs. They were about the size of hawks, but with their long necks and long tails, they were about six feet end-to-end. The skin of the "green" trontannas was mostly yellow-green and frog-like. Its four legs were shaped more like a lizard or gecko's legs that ended in four-toed feet, with each toe possessing a suction cup-like thing at the end. It did have some green parts. Its back was covered in dark green plates, like armor (in the middle of which were where the wings were connected), its tail had a dark green blunt tip, and its head had a dark green hood-shaped horn of some kind, like a sharp bonnet. Its four large gossamer wings, each about three and a half feet long, were a bright, brilliant green.

((That looks cool!)) Bone commented. ((I guess it would be too much to hope that that's for me to morph.))

The trontannas did look cool and like it could put up a fight, but I was worried that in a battle, the Terrormorphs would immediately go for the wings. I could handle that, but Bone . . . .

I looked around the cages and noticed a creature that seemed to be just hatching out of an egg. The egg was the size of a football, grey, and looked a lot like a rock, and the creature inside was off-white. The head of the creature emerged from the egg with a piece of eggshell stuck on top of its head. It had two simple eyes and one compound eye, like most of Gianna Draquen's fauna. Its nose was large and bulbous, similar to that of the ikdi.

Four spider-like legs popped out of the bottom of the egg, the front two in a bowlegged fashion and the back two going straight back. The shins of each leg had a piece of the eggshell stuck to it. The back of the egg opened up like cupboard doors and six gossamer wings unfolded. The creature flew into the air, still mostly inside the egg with no bits of eggshell coming loose from the hatching creature. It hovered a bit and then landed on its four legs. Two arms came out of the egg that ended in what looked like raccoon paws. Again, the eggshell stuck to the forearms. The creature then toppled over and walked on its forepaws and bowlegs, leaving its back legs dangling like tails.

The creature then retracted back into the egg with every eggshell piece fitting perfectly to look like the egg had yet to hatch.

That's when I realized that the egg wasn't an egg. It was a shell!

"$What's this?$" I asked, pointing to egg creature with one of my tentacles.

"Nanda Dub" replied Farser, which means 'fake egg.' "$The Nanda Dub is a very common creature, but very timid. Often hiding as rocks on the ground or posing as eggs in birds' nests.$"

"$How hard is that shell?$"

"$Like a rock.$"

((Let me guess. That one's mine.)) Bone replied unenthusiastically. ((Shells. Rocks. I'm starting to see a motif here.))

((Walk before you gallop, Bonehead. And did you just say 'motif'? Where are you learning this stuff?)) I replied. "$That'll be all, Farser. The ikdi and the nanda dub for Bone. The trontannas and the artirys for me.$"

Farser escorted us into an examining room used by the veterinarians (I assumed) where the Beast-house personnel brought in the animals we requested. Once they left and we were alone, Bone and I demorphed. We acquired our respective animals, Bone giving me one more complaint about having to acquire defensive creatures.

I had Bone morph the ikdi right away so he could crawl into the shell that Sumdac procured for him. I hoped the shell would act like skin-tight clothing and he could morph with it.

As Farser coached Bone through his shell fitting, Chydla rushed in with news.

"$A Belga fly covered in lirachurns has just been spotted heading toward the warehouse district of Engineers' Cliffs.$" Chydla reported.

"$Any idea what he's going for?$" Hollin asked.

"$In that district, and if our theory that he's adapting a mukommer for space-travel is correct, we think he's going to steal the Lothgar Denj-converter developed by Tershol Enterprises.$"

"$Makes sense. Lebla used to work for them.$" Sumdac commented.

"$Which means they'll be headed for the Premium Row.$"

"$It'll take eternity plus six for us to get there.$" Hollin grumbled.

"I can fly there." I said.

"$You don't know where it is.$" Hollin stated pointing out the obvious.

"$Isn't Premium Row where the ambassador's collection is?$" Hanerr asked.

"Collection?" I asked.

"$She's something of an art enthusiast. She has paintings and sculptures from across the Galactic Arm. She brings them everywhere she goes.$" Hanerr explained. "$I thought the name Engineers' Cliffs sounded familiar. That's where you put her art collection. We went there again to add that painting she bought by Mystreesok Poindtez-419. That really strange one with the female Dayang walking through fire and not getting burned.$"

"$It's supposed to be a metaphor.$" Chydla interjected. She then seemed embarrassed by her outburst.

But Hanerr kept the task on mind, "$Premium Row Warehouse number 23. I know where they are.$" Hanerr turned his Dayang body to me and put his two lower tentacles on each of my shoulders, something Dayangs do when they're trying to be serious and sincere. (It's also something I've seen Italians do, but with hands of course.) "$I could lead you there. If I could fly.$"

"That goomla thing?"

"$Goomlas hover. They don't really fly.$" Hanerr said as he stretched a tentacle toward the trontannas's cage.

I grabbed that tentacle with my human hand and pointed it at the nanda dub's cage instead.

"$You're being difficult.$" Hanerr grumbled as I pushed the nanda dub cage toward him.

Four large, bright green gossamer wings sprouted from my back along with the long tail of the trontannas. The blunted end of the tail hit the floor with a thud. "Cry me a river," I said just before my head and neck stretched into the long neck and head of the trontannas.

As I shrank and the rest of my body became the trontannas, I felt the instincts bubble up in me. It was strange. The trontannas's instincts were similar to the instincts of the three snakes I had morphed into: rattlesnake, black mamba, and the boa constrictor.

The only difference was that the trontannas wasn't as quick to fight as the snakes. I wanted to sniff the air. I wanted to find a tree or a garbage pit, something that would have the delicious fruits and nuts that I loved so much. I can just chill out and relax if I eat some fruit or nuts or seeds.

But if I smelled a chiptdul bug. It was _so_ on.

Wait. I'm not after chiptdul bugs. I'm after Terrormorphs.

((Bone! You done with your shell fitting yet?)) I thought-yelled toward the water tank on the other side of the room.

((Fits like a glove, Boss.)) Bone replied, still in the morph of the ikdi sermolspra.

((Demorph and morph to the nanda dub.))

((Time to fly? Coolness.))

I then called out to Babylon who was still in Hollin's large vehicle somewhere outside the Beast-house. ((Babylon, I know you can't answer me, but I want you to turn on the Palm Proteus.)) I commanded, then waited a bit. ((Ayla, thought-speech mode.))

((David? What can I do you for?)) Ayla's computerized thought-speech voice was weak from distance.

((Demorph Hanerr. He's going to acquire a new form. When he's done, trap him in it.))

A few minutes later, a trontannas and two nanda dubs flew out of the back hallways of the Beast-House and into the sky.

((Into the canopy. We'll be harder to see that way.)) I commanded.

We flew into the canopy of intersecting swarms of birds, bugs, and other stuff I couldn't classify right away. It was as if I had stepped directly into New York City traffic, except three-dimensional. It was wild. I was amazed that none of the creatures were running into each other. The trontannas and the nanda dub both had instincts that kept that from happening.

It was the kind of flying experience that would scare the bejeebus out of Tobias.

What made it worse was that I couldn't see all that great due to the setting sun. Night was falling, and the trontannas is mostly a day animal.

Apparently the nanda dub has better night vision because after a few minutes of flying, after Hanerr announced that we had reached the Premium Row, it was Bone who spotted them.

((Look down there! Two big birds.)) Bone announced.

The 'big birds' in question were not in the air, but perched on the ground by one of the warehouses. I recognized the creatures immediately.

((The eotto'ot and the latemsnart lazunbi. Lebla and Frozeon.)) I clarified. ((Those are the morphs they used when we arrived on this planet.))

((Hmmph! Lebla.)) Hanerr sneered. He must have been holding a grudge against the dayang that tricked him.

((There are other creatures with them.)) Bone noticed. ((A sabrayog. A zeronex tor. And a drego blacle snake.))

((Which means, if our intel is correct, those are respectively, Gwarver, Krull, and Picum.)) I recalled.

We had learned about these animals on the way over to the Beast-house.

A Sabrayog is to a dayang as a gorilla is to a human. A sabrayog is a muscular, hairy version of a dayang with small thorns at the end of each tree-branch-thick tentacle. This copper-colored creature was Gwarver's morph.

Zeronexes are a whole group of dangerous predatory animals on Gianna Draquen. They are dayang-shaped (upper body that slides along a lower body) with legs and ground arms that end in claws. The upper body was devoid of tentacles and its arms were only spikes that waved about, so it was basically a torso and a head. The head had powerful jaws used to kill and eat prey. The tor (which means 'fast' in Draque) zeronex is black with yellow highlights, and this sleek version of the apex predator is regarded as the fastest land animal on this planet.

The drego (which means 'giant' in Draque) blacle snake is just a snake with two tentacles coming out of its back. The creature was black with a pattern of yellow and green stripes that I couldn't really see from my high altitude in the low light of Gianna Draquen's sunset. I also couldn't judge its length very well, but from the description, it was probably a lot longer than Hellboy. I know it was bigger.

We hovered over the Terrormorphs within the canopy. Numerous creatures whizzed by us as we watched our enemies and I tried to come up with a plan.

((One appears to be missing. The one named Erko.)) Hanerr reminded us.

((Erko uses that torgabal morph mostly,)) Bone remembered, ((but I don't see any.))

((He's also been known to use a rithinstufft morph.)) I said.

((Look at the roofs! There are rithinstuffts everywhere!)) Hanerr observed, frustrated.

Rithinstuffts were dayang-shaped creatures covered in pink fur that were about the size of a German Shepherd, except lower to the ground. Their lower bodies resembled that of a mole, complete with ground arms designed for digging. Their main arms on the upper body were shaped like that of a rat or raccoon. Their four tentacles were thick and ended in little tiny clawed-fingers that worked like clasps. Their satellite dish ears were more oval shaped and the antenna part of the ears is shorter. Their muzzles were longer than dayang muzzles, also not unlike a rat.

You'd think that a pink creature would stand out, but the roofs of the warehouses on premium row were all a pale pink color. And true to Hanerr's observation, most of the roofs had between two to six rithinstuffts scurrying around.

((Wait! See how the rithinstuffts are all fighting with each other?)) Bone pointed out. ((The dead-eaters back home do the same thing. They always have scratch marks or chunks of hair missing. These rithinstuffts are the same way. Except for that one on the warehouse in the row facing the cliff. He doesn't have as scratch on him and all his fur is cleaner than a calf's butt.))

((I don't see it.)) I said.

((There's four rithinstuffts. Two are fighting, one is watching, and one has its tentacles all up on some kind of door on the floor.)) Bone explained as my weak night vision spotted the roof he was talking about.

((The roof exit. That one must be Erko. I'm going in!)) Hanerr announced as he dove out of the canopy

((Hey! You work with us now, Hanerr.)) Bone chided as he caught up to Hanerr and headbutted his shell-covered head into Hanerr's body. ((Wait for the boss.))

((Yes, of course. Silly me.)) Hanerr grumbled.

((You got a plan, Boss?)) Bone asked me.

I hovered down next to the two nanda dub morphs. ((I think . . . I do.))

**Picum**

My name is Picum Passay-370. Actually, now that I'm legally my uncle's heir, my surname is Passay-040. Quite a step up on the social hill. My best friend in the whole galactic arm (and everything beyond) is Erko Zeair-576. He's been my best friend since pretty much all my life. He's very serious, not fun like me. We both used to be worker-privates on the star-trader _Rogin Gavic_. Erko said the duties were boring, but I always thought it was like having adventures. We saw a lot of interesting aliens and planets.

Well, now, even though we're on our own boring home planet, we were undeniably on the greatest adventure ever. My uncle Gwarver (who used to be the captain of the _Rogin Gavic_ before he went undercover) has enlisted me and Erko on a top secret mission! The Andalites are trying to take over our planet, but they're doing it sneaky-like. The government is acting like it supports the Andalites, but really, Uncle Gwarver has been assigned to help take them down!

Since the Andalites are being sneaky, we have to be sneaky. We have to escape the planet and get help. We were going to retrieve some spaceship parts and turn one of our new mukommers into a spaceship. This way we could go into space, and save Gianna Draquen, and achieve our own wryphat'd, and have adventures just like _The Tales of the Super-Powered Adolescents of Gianna Draquen_. That was mine and Erko's favorite media serial when we were youths.

And the absolute, super-greatest part was . . . we had Andalite morphing power!

Of course, Erko has been acting like a total grump since we got our special assignment, like he still believes that story that Uncle Gwarver is some kind of traitor-fracture. I mean, DERRRR, it's a cover story because this is _top secret_. Uncle Gwarver explained the whole thing when we were recruited in the forest after a fishing trip, but Erko's still acting like my uncle is the bad guy. My uncle? A bad guy? Yeah right! Like Captain Hollin is really trying to stop us, not just putting on a show for the Andalites like Uncle Gwarver said.

Erko's really smart and stuff, but sometimes he can be a real _nulnimt_.

Still, Erko was smart enough to figure out how to pick locks in rithinstufft morph, so he was sneaking into a warehouse that held the next spaceship part we needed. Something called an oscillating tanab. He was gonna disable the alarms so we could get it and take it.

Two other members of our team were Lt. Frozeon Andsomgi-471, a mean officer who was also on _Rogin Gavic_, and Lebla Synda-300, a mechanical engineer. Lebla is really smart and really pretty, you know, for her age. They were in morphs of two large flying animals so they could carry the big spaceship part away. The other guy in our team was Kartar Legles-283, but everyone called him Krull. I wasn't sure why.

Krull and I were in battle morphs, just in case the andalites were going make our government fight us again. Krull used a Fast Zeronex morph to fight. I used a morph of a giant Blacle snake. Being a blacle snake is weird, because I don't have any arms and legs, and only the two tentacles, but I can move really fast and crush things. Even big things like hovercrafts.

Our leader, Uncle (Captain) Gwarver was a sabrayog. His big, hairy sabrayog tentacles slapped the ground around him. He does this if he's getting impatient. Erko was taking a really long time to disable the alarms.

Once the alarms were disabled, the old security guard will come out and investigate the perimeter. The guard was an elderly point wearing the typical guard uniform: sash for the upper body and the double pouches off the lower body that held his weapons and keys and stuff. His name was Willacrom Jordax-409, but my uncle referred to him as Old Willi. I think they used to work together.

Finally, after a really, (really, really,) long time, Old Willi came out of the warehouse. For an old point, Willi moved very spryly.

"Where are you?" Willi said in Galard, pointing his light-caster as if it was a gun. "Where are you, you stupid Jabos?"

((Why's he speaking in Galard?)) Lebla asked.

(('Jabos'?)) Frozeon repeated. ((Does he mean hawajabra?))

((He still thinks he's fighting the war.)) Uncle Gwarver said sadly. ((I knew he was getting thin and dull in the three ends, but I didn't think he was _this_ far gone.))

((Maybe we should focus on the mission, _Captain_.)) Frozeon suggested rudely. Sometimes he can be a real jerk.

I guess Uncle Gwarver thought so too, since he grabbed Frozeon's lazunbi snout with a tentacle and pulled Frozeon toward him. Uncle Gwarver than wrapped a giant sabrayog main hand around Frozeon's throat, choking him a little bit.

Uncle Gwarver does this a lot. Never to me, though.

((I served under Lieutenant Willacrom in the Rekklabb Estate War. He was a fine soldier and a hero, and he deserves our respect. Remember _that_, lieutenant!)) Uncle Gwarver scolded and then let go of Frozeon's neck.

((Yes, I'll remember.)) Frozeon muttered.

((Picum, advance on my signal.)) Uncle Gwarver commanded. ((Remember, squeeze him so that he falls asleep. Don't let him see you.))

Uncle Gwarver signaled and I slithered ahead, when I got close enough behind him, he turned around suddenly (again, very quick for an old point) and looked at me.

I fought against the blacle's instincts to just bite and swallow him whole, and I stared down the old point, not knowing what to do.

((What are you waiting for? Kill him!)) Frozeon yelled. I didn't want to kill this old man. Uncle Gwarver liked him, I guessed.

"Greetings, little nipper." Old Willi said to me, again in Galard. "Ready to move your legs and find some jabos?"

((Legs?)) I repeated confused. ((What legs?))

((Great Gianna, he thinks Picum is a Rekklabb Blood Tracker)) Uncle Gwarver figured out.

((How do you confuse a snake the size of a tree to a centipede the size of a crawbull?)) Lebla wondered.

((He is _really_ far gone.)) Uncle Gwarver said again, sadly, but then his voice got tough. ((We might as well take advantage of this.))

As Old Willi petted my head and pointed my snake-face to the ground (to sniff for 'Jabos' I guess), Uncle Gwarver and the others in full animal morphs walked toward us.

((Lieutenant Willacrom? Corporal Cindreon Bassill-884, here on special assignment, Sir!)) Uncle Gwarver said in thought-speech as he did a military salute in his sabrayog morph. He looked really silly. ((I've brought two . . . uh . . . . messenger birds. Two more messenger birds, and a . . . uh . . . crawbull.))

((He's never going to believe I'm a crawbull!)) Krull complained. ((Not even I'm _that_ crazy.))

"Why aren't you a big officer?" Old Willi said to Uncle Gwarver. "What's with the critters? This is a war-zone, not a beast-house. You brought a crawbull here? This isn't time for getting cuddly with your pets, nubile!"

((Oh, these animals are specially trained. I'm here on special assignment from Base-001 to guard our new war-tech. Specifically the _oscillating tanab_. So, if you could escort us to the war-tech we'll begin our post,)) Uncle Gwarver said sneakily.

"Well, all right, but keep all these critters close to you. I don't want to have to chase them down, and take this nipping blood tracker with you. Something about him tangles my detergent . . . I mean, tentacles," Old Willi said as he led the way into Warehouse 23.

I tried not to laugh at the mistake Old Willi did. In Galard, the words for detergent and tentacles rhyme, so he just got confused. He's really old.

((This is going better than we could have dreamed.)) Lebla observed. ((Your senile former commanding officer is leading us straight to the component and no one knows we're even here.))

((Clamp your muzzle, Lebla.)) Uncle Gwarver snapped. ((Erko hasn't checked in.))

((He probably just forgot again.)) I covered.

((No excuse. I'm going to have to have a talk with Young Erko about procedure.))

Oh no. Uncle's talks usually involved some sort of physical pain. I don't know why he thinks he has to do that, and I don't know why Erko just doesn't follow procedure. It's like he doesn't even want to be on this mission. But who wouldn't want to save the world?

Old Willi came to a large steel door and opened it. It led to a large room with another large steel door to the outside. The only thing in the room was something large covered in a sheet.

"That device is in here," said Old Willi. "You get all your critters in there and watch it real good, ok?"

Normally, I or Krull would stand by our exits and keep guard, but I guess we had nothing to fear from Old Willi. The five of us gathered around the sheet.

((We will, Sir!)) Uncle Gwarver said to Old Willi. Then, privately to us, ((This is it! The oscillating tanab.))

Uncle Gwarver pulled back to sheet to reveal . . . an unconscious rithinstufft?

((Erko!)) I realized.

((What's going on?)) Frozeon said as he turned around to face Old Willi.

Old Willi smiled a devilish smile and pulled a small device out of his pouch with a tentacle and put it in his main hand. He pressed a button and WHAM! A cage came down on us.

((We've been tricked!)) Lebla said.

Old Willi laughed as he took off his uniform. Then, he began to change. He was morphing. Soon, he resembled the horned creature that fought beside David Hunting.

((It's that giant, smelly pet of David's.)) Frozeon recognized.

((I have a name, losers!)) Said the giant, smelly pet. ((It is Bonehead von Buffalo. The Mighty Warrior. The Superb Singer. The Sexy Beast.))

Bonehead began to morph again, this time to an animal that looked a lot like his real form, except it stood on two legs and had two arms.

"And you guys," Bonehead said, speaking a strange language that was probably native to his home planet, "are dead meat!"

((Well, I'm impressed.)) Uncle Gwarver said in that slick tone he uses when he wants to fool the bad guys. ((We kill your master, and here you are avenging him. So why don't you finish us off? Be a real warrior and kill us. Remove the cage.))

I guess Bonehead didn't want be a real warrior because he started singing and dancing.

"'Baby, make your move/ Step across the line/ Touch me one more time/ Come on, dare me!'"

At least I think it was singing and dancing.

"'I wanna take you on/ I know I can't lose/ And I'll be killing you/ If you just dare me.'"

((He's stalling.)) Frozeon said.

((Why?)) I asked.

"'Bad Boys! Bad Boys!/ Watcha gonna do?/ Whatcha gonna do/ When we come for you?'"

((The police are coming!)) Krull thought-yelled, as he started to go a little frantic. This is normal behavior for him.

((What?)) Uncle Gwarver asked, confused.

((The police are always coming to get me.))

((If he called anyone, it would have been Hollin.)) Frozeon figured.

((Either way, we're humped,)) Uncle Gwarver realized. ((Listen to me, Bonehead. The Andalite ambassadors are alive and I'll give them to you if you let us go.))

Why would Uncle Gwarver do that? They were the bad guys.

"No way, José." Bonehead answered.

That's when Hollin and five other Dayang officers entered the room. With them was the weird, purple Hork-Bajir that was also with David Hunting. They surrounded the cage and pointed weapons at us.

"Gwarver, Frozeon, Lebla, Erko, Picum, and Kartar," an older officer listed us, "you are hereby bound by law to demorph and stand down."

"Once again, in the name of Queen Dolaguel Rikrath-008, the Great Corporate Board of Legislature, and the Exalted Court of Understandings, Captain Gwarver and all complying Terrormorphs are under arrest." Hollin himself charged.

It always surprises me how far Hollin will go to assure the Andalites that they aren't on our side.

I wasn't going to demorph unless my uncle told me to. Lebla and Frozeon, however, began to demorph.

((You would betray me, Frozeon?)) Uncle Gwarver demanded.

"By damnation, no," whispered Frozeon as he made the transition to fully dayang, "but I certainly couldn't make a run for it in those stupid lazunbi legs."

((How about it?)) Uncle Gwarver asked. ((Shall we run for it?))

Krull had gone into complete hysterics and began spinning and hopping in place in one direction while his upper body spun the other way. He was also thought-screaming ((They'll never take me alive! They'll never take me alive! I'm not sorry for killing any one of them!!!))

Krull's kind of crazy.

((What about Erko?)) I asked.

((Damnation! Try to wake him up!)) Uncle Gwarver commanded.

Using one of my tentacles, I tried to open one of Erko's simple eyes to see if it'll respond to the light and wake him up. That's when I saw it.

I grabbed the rithinstufft by the tail with one of my tentacles and threw it against the side of the cage.

"Picum, what are you doing?" Lebla asked, fully demorphed.

((That rithinstufft has yellow eyes. Erko's morph's eyes are purple.)) I said.

The rithinstufft opened its eyes as its lower body stood. Then it began to change. It was another morpher! This one was demorphing into . . .

((David Hunting!)) Uncle Gwarver thought-yelled.

Sure enough, a not-dead David Hunting was looking at us with a shifty expression on his human face. Part of me was glad he survived. Then a part of me was afraid he'd beat us up.

Lebla began to morph again as Uncle Gwarver motioned for Frozeon and Krull to attack David. Krull was still spinning hysterically, so only Frozeon, in his own body, moved to attack David.

Big mistake. David morphs super-fast. So when Frozeon made a motion to grab him with his main arms, David had turned into a snake. It only had the two simple eyes, so it wasn't a Gianna Draquen snake, and it was kind of small compared to me, but it was probably dangerous in another way.

David the snake slithered underneath Frozeon's lower body and stuck Frozeon's underbelly. I wondered if David understood how vulgar and gross that is.

As David slithered away, Frozeon made more grabs for him with his tentacles, but he was moving slower than he usually did.

"I'll get you, you disgusting alien!"

Lebla was finishing her morph to the common xegapmar when Uncle Gwarver started shouting, ((What's wrong with you? Grab him!))

"I don't know what--- I feel---" Frozeon began to say as he looked strangely at his hand. That's when Frozeon toppled over, unconscious.

((Frozeon!)) Uncle Gwarver thought-yelled.

((This animal is called the Black Mamba on my planet,)) explained David, ((where it has the deadliest venom of any snake. Now, the effect in humans is that they start to feel a tingling sensation in the arms and such, sweating, lack of muscle control, nausea, shortness of breath, confusion, paralysis, maybe a coma, and then death. It's nasty stuff. Seems to me you dayangs are gonna feel something similar. Now, I don't have any antivenom unfortunately, but my good Hork-Bajir servent has these wonderful shots that'll trap him in a harmless morph, which should undo the venom's effects. And it can be yours if you just surrender.))

"You heard him, Gwarver. Your freedom for the life of your loyal soldier." Hollin reiterated. Frozeon moaned in pain.

((I'll never surrender!))

David's snake morph hissed as it reared up again. ((This will not end well for you.)) David said.

((My morph is venomous too, Human.)) Lebla taunted.

((You think that'll save you, Dayang?)) David said as he turned toward her.

Lebla fired her venom shooters and hit David in his tail, but not before David clamped his jaws on Lebla's upper body. David released Lebla and seemed to slither toward the cage bars. He slithered slowly through the bars holding the part where Lebla shot him off the ground.

((Ow, Ow, OW!)) David complained as he left the cage and began to demorph.

Lebla was not doing so well. All of her parts retracted into the shell of the xegapmar. However, as soon as she did, she began to demorph. Frozeon showed no signs of morphing and started to convulse.

((Things are looking bad, Uncle Gwarver. They're really trying to kill us!)) I said.

((Shut up!)) Uncle Gwarver snapped.

((Why are they trying to kill us? This isn't a show. This is like the real thing.))

"Surrender, Picum. We can save your teammates." One of the officers said.

I looked at Frozeon convulsing from the alien poison and at Lebla, slowly demorphing. Krull was still spinning in hysterics. Erko was missing, and there stood my uncle not surrendering.

((I . . . will not . . . . SURRENDER!!!!)) Uncle Gwarver shouted through the bars as his sabrayog morph roared.

"We have no choice." Hollin said. "Prepare for Executionary Measures."

"What?" David asked.

"What?" Bonehead asked.

((What?)) I repeated.

"On my mark," Hollin said solemnly.

PSSSST! The automatic fire-extinguishing sprayers turned on, but there was no fire. As the dayangs shouted in confusion, the room filled up with lots of gas that nobody could see through. That's when the cage lifted up.

((We're free!)) I thought-shouted, probably too inclusively.

((I'm opening the door to the outside,)) said a thought-speech voice. It was Erko! ((Run for it!))

((Picum, grab Lebla.)) Uncle Gwarver shouted as he picked up Frozeon. ((Krull, you worthless hunk of flesh, let's move!!!))

We made our way out of the smokey warehouse. I was carrying a rapidly changing Lebla while Uncle Gwarver carried a dying Frozeon with Krull running beside us. We were quickly joined by a rithinstufft with purple eyes (I checked) that was carrying something in one of his tentacles.

We escaped into the woods, at which point Lebla demanded that I put her slow-self down. We ran until we reached a cliff.

((What are we doing here, uncle?)) I asked.

((Making sure.)) He answered as he grabbed Erko by the neck and held him over the cliff. ((This had better be the real you, Erko, or you'd be better off falling to your death compared to what I'll do to you.))

((Hey, it's really me!)) Erko thought-yelled. ((Please, sir, you have to believe me.))

((Give me one shred of proof, it's you.)) Uncle Gwarver insisted.

((I don't know what you mean. Please, stop this. Put me down, you fucking fracture!)) Erko thought-yelled in exasperation.

I was very worried, that Uncle Gwarver was gonna drop him anyway for calling him a fracture. Thankfully, Uncle Gwarver just grumbled in annoyance and put Erko down on solid ground. Actually, it was more of a throw.

((That wasn't good proof, but it was proof.))

"What's that in your tentacle?" Lebla asked. "An electric tentacle tension reliever? You want to de-stress, now?"

((You're an engineer, Lebla. Use your brain. I wired it to a computer power cell.))

"To do what? Electrocute yourself?"

((Uh-huh. When I broke into the warehouse's roof hatch, I was followed by a trontannas. It was David in morph. He demorphed and remorphed into some snake with poison fangs. He bit me and the venom nearly killed me.)) Erko explained. ((I was near death when I bit down on some electric wires. The shock adrenelized me enough to keep me conscious through the demorph. I nearly fried myself in the process, though))

((Why'd you build this?)) Uncle Gwarver wondered.

((I heard your thought-speech cries about poison and David boasting about his alien morph. I figured some of you were also poisoned. So I made this, morphed and made my way to you.)) Erko said with some pride in his voice. ((Now, let's save Frozeon. Stick a tentacle into the tension reliever.))

Lebla followed Erko's instructions and Frozeon started twitching from the electricity.

"Uhhhh? Ow." came a questioning tone from Frozeon. He was awake. Sort of.

"Frozeon! You're poisoned. Morph! Morph!" Lebla shouted.

((Hush! You'll give away our position.)) Uncle Gwarver muttered.

"Too late for that," said a voice. All of the sudden, a bright light flooded the small clearing on the cliff that we were standing around.

We looked up toward the light and saw a purple hork-bajir.

"Did you really think you could outrun a Hork-Bajir among trees?"

((Dibulob shit!)) Uncle Gwarver yelled. ((Tree dwellers or no, Hork-Bajir can't see a damn thing in the dark. Someone helped him.))

((The third morpher.)) Erko said. ((This Hork-Bajir came with Hollin's task force after we were captured. He doesn't morph.))

The Purple Hork-Bajir was still talking. "You destroyed my medicine, Gwarver. I need my medicine. I can't get any more medicine until you are taken care of."

((But there were _three_ morphers that followed me into the warehouse,)) Erko continued. ((David, Bonehead, and some other one. Someone who was already here.))

((Hanerr.)) Lebla said.

((Who's that?)) I asked as I felt my body temperture drop slightly. This happens to the snakes on our planet right before there's a _buloss_, a short windstorm.

((The andalite I stole the blue box from.)) Lebla answered my question. ((_He _must bethe third morpher.))

((When the trontannas attacked me, I remember seeing two nanda dubs.)) Erko said.

((He's up in the sky.)) Uncle Gwarver figured out.

((Then he's in trouble, because there's a buloss starting.)) I said.

As the wind started to pick up, the purple Hork-Bajir landed on the ground near us. He looked all kinds of scary underneath the military searchlight staked in the tree. I heard the sound of something heavy sliding down the cliff.

The large horned beast named Bonehead von Buffalo ran to stand next to the purple Hork-Bajir.

((This weird windy thing is keeping the dayangs from coming near this cliff, Babylon)) he said to the purple Hork-Bajir. ((It's just the three of us against all of them.))

A regular colored, but super-muscular Hork-Bajir landed from the trees between Bonehead and the purple Hork-Bajir named Babylon.

((Three of us is all we need)) said David.

((Erko! Lebla!)) Uncle Gwarver barked. ((Make sure Frozeon remorphs and also you two morph something useful. Picum! Krull! These aliens are breakfast soup.))

Uncle Gwarver, Krull, and I ranked up and stared down the three aliens. I didn't understand it. David Hunting and his two friends were going to fight us. Maybe even kill us.

((They will not take us!)) Uncle Gwarver shouted.

((Let's show these traitorous assholes how we do things Terra Firma-style)). David taunted.

The buloss picked up and started to whip around violently. The Horned Beast and two Hork-Bajir charged at us. And as we charged back, one thought entered my head.

_This isn't fun anymore. _


End file.
